Rajnath Singh Accuses Congress of Seeking Bangladesh-Style Regime Change

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused the Indian National Congress and its INDIA bloc allies of orchestrating a conspiracy to seize power through anarchy. Speaking at a news conference in Lucknow on October 16, Singh alleged that the opposition is using youth-led protests against the Election Commission of India as a pretext to fuel political unrest and dismantle democratic institutions.

Singh claimed the opposition seeks a regime change modeled after the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh, turning young people into pawns to destabilize the country. He specifically criticized Rahul Gandhi for using the Constitution as a mask for disorder and dismissed Gandhi's allegations of vote theft, asserting that the party's electoral failures are self-inflicted. Singh characterized these attacks on the electoral process as a fourth unforgivable crime, citing the 1975 Emergency, the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, and the 1990 killing of kar sevaks as a historical pattern of undermining constitutional values.

The accusations follow massive protests in New Delhi where opposition parties and civil society groups demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Protesters allege a lack of transparency and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, claiming the process could exclude eligible voters. Singh dismissed these claims, arguing the struggle is not about electoral reform but is a conspiracy to seize power.