‘Youth Being Made Pawns In Politics Of Anarchy’: Rajnath Singh Accuse Congress Of Seeking 'Regime Change'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused the Congress and its allies of seeking a Bangladesh-style “regime change” through violence, alleging that protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were aimed at destabilising the government.

Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow, Singh said the Opposition was using allegations over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to undermine democratic institutions.

“Congress wants to follow the Bangladesh model of violence for regime change. Congress protest is not against Gyanesh Kumar and SIR but against democracy to topple government,” he said.

His remarks came as the Cockroach Janta Party prepared to hold its ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ demonstration at Connaught Place in Delhi. Opposition parties and civil society groups have been demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

Singh alleged that the Congress and other other opposition parties were supporting it were drawing young people into political unrest.

“It appears that the Congress and its political allies, directly and through their supporting organisations, are trying to use the energy of the youth to fuel political confrontation and spread anarchy instead of channelling it towards constructive work and nation-building,” he said.

“The youth of the country are being made pawns in the politics of anarchy,” he added.

Referring to remarks expressing support for Bangladesh’s student movement, Singh alleged that the Opposition’s objectives extended beyond electoral reforms. A student-led uprising in Bangladesh led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024.

The Congress and its allies “openly say at press conferences that they have drawn inspiration from Bangladesh for regime change, while another speaks openly about bringing down the government. This makes it clear that their only agenda is to dismantle democratic institutions and set the country on fire,” Singh alleged.

He also accused the Congress of treating the Election Commission as its “puppet” while in power and criticised its record on appointments to the poll body.

Targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Singh said democratic rights did not permit violence or efforts to discredit constitutional institutions. “Rahul is doing the politics of disruption,” he said.

Citing the Supreme Court’s observations on Thursday, the minister urged Gandhi and his allies to respect the law and the electoral mandate.

“Respecting the law is also essential to maintaining law and order. India's democratic institutions cannot be sacrificed at the altar of political self-interest,” he said.

Singh accused the Opposition of pursuing “politics of destruction” in the name of defending democracy and said attempts to malign institutions would not halt the country’s development.

“India's future is everyone's responsibility. We must choose the path of dialogue and nation-building, not confrontation,” he said.

AISA President Neha Bora, who has emerged as a prominent participant in protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, praised young activists in Bangladesh and said Indian students were learning from their campaigns.

“...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, for showing us and extending solidarity to the young people of this country. We know that the movement that began in Bangladesh was for democratic and voter rights,” she said.