BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi after AISA leader hails Bangladesh Gen-Z movement
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New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his “ecosystem” of seeking to “destroy Indian democracy” and bring about a Bangladesh-like regime change, after All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora praised Bangladesh’s Gen-Z movement and said it had inspired young people in India.
Bora made the remarks in a video message to the sixth national conference of Bangladesh’s Socialist Students Front. She said the Gen-Z movement seen across India had first begun in Bangladesh and congratulated the country’s student activists for “showing the way.”
“Revolutionary greetings to the Socialist Students Front on your sixth National Conference. We present you our red salute. And we know that the Gen-Z movement that we are seeing everywhere in this country first started in Bangladesh. And congratulations to you for showing us the way,” Bora said.
The AISA leader also said young people in India were participating in and leading movements for democratic principles and voting rights, drawing a parallel between student struggles in India and Bangladesh.
Reacting to her comments, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that Gandhi and the Congress ecosystem were not interested in democratic political resistance but in forcing a change of government.
“Rahul Gandhi and the entire ecosystem do not want to engage in political resistance; they want to bring about regime change,” Bhandari said.
He described Bora as the “poster girl” of Gandhi’s protest movement and claimed that her remarks showed an intention to replicate in India what had happened in Bangladesh. Bhandari also alleged that Gandhi’s aim was to “destroy the Constitution and the democracy of India.”
The BJP leader further referred to remarks allegedly made by advocate Prashant Bhushan, claiming that they pointed to a broader effort to undermine India’s democratic system. He urged those who believed in the Constitution to oppose Gandhi and his allies.
Bora has emerged as a prominent face in the Opposition’s protests against the Election Commission of India over allegations of “vote theft” and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi has been leading the INDIA bloc’s campaign on the issue, with Opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Bora was among the attendees at a tea meeting hosted by Gandhi earlier this week, which brought together INDIA bloc leaders, activists and civil society members to coordinate the campaign against the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The BJP, however, accused the Congress of politicising the issue and attempting to discredit democratic institutions.
(Inputs from IANS)