Sambit Patra accused Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition of seeking regime change through protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Patra criticised Gandhi’s comparison of the demonstrations to Lord Shiva’s Tandav and targeted Prashant Bhushan over his remarks on regime change.
The BJP MP accused AISA’s Neha Bora and other student activists of serving foreign interests over references to Bangladesh during the anti-SIR campaign.
BJP MP Sambit Patra on Thursday accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and student activists of seeking to destabilise the country through protests against the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing a press conference, Patra criticised Gandhi's description of the Opposition-led demonstrations as the Tandav of Lord Shiva, alleging that the comparison was an insult to religious sentiments. He also accused Opposition leaders and activists of serving foreign interests.
The political row comes amid protests by Opposition parties, activists and civil society groups against the SIR exercise. The demonstrators have alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and sought accountability from senior election officials.
The Regime Change Row
Patra took exception to Gandhi's invocation of Lord Shiva's cosmic dance to describe the nature of the Opposition's street demonstrations.
Speaking at a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters before an Opposition march to the Supreme Court, Gandhi had rejected suggestions that the agitation followed a rigid plan.
Recalling a conversation with his sister, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said, "She told me we should make a plan. I said, 'You are not understanding... This is Tandav. This is Lord Shiva's dance. There is no planning in this.'"
Gandhi added that the movement was continuing and that anyone could join the procession of Lord Shiva.
Responding to his remarks, Patra said, "This is not Shiva's dance; it is a romance between traitors and Pakistan. Rahul ji, this is a romance between traitors and Pakistan that the entire nation is witnessing today, and India will provide a fitting response."
The BJP MP also targeted Bhushan over his remarks that the Opposition's campaign against the SIR had developed into a movement for regime change.
At a joint press conference in New Delhi on the anti-SIR campaign, Bhushan had said, "This is a fight for regime change. We will not accept a dictatorship that is crushing our electoral system."
Patra said Bhushan's statement confirmed the BJP's allegations about the Opposition's intentions. He accused Gandhi and other Opposition leaders of attempting to seize power without contesting elections.
"This country is not anyone's private property. It does not belong to any single family. It belongs to 1.4 billion people," Patra said. He added that the Opposition's objective was to bring about regime change and form its own government without contesting an election.
Patra maintained that elections held every five years provided the constitutional means to change a government. He accused the Opposition of favouring chaos and anarchy over the electoral process.
The BJP MP also cited Congress's electoral defeats in states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to attack Gandhi's leadership.
"Ever since Rahul Gandhi became their leader, they have not won a single election," he said, adding that the Congress had remained out of power in several states for years.
Patra further accused Gandhi and his associates of having "sold themselves to foreign hands".
Sambit Patra Targets Neha Bora Over Bangladesh Reference
Patra also targeted student activists involved in the anti-SIR protests, accusing them of serving foreign interests and attempting to destabilise the country.
Referring to remarks by Neha Bora of the All India Students' Association (AISA), Patra objected to her reference to Bangladesh while speaking about the movement.
He accused the protesters of seeking to replicate unrest in other countries and warned that their agitation would remain confined to Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
"These individuals are agents of foreign interests. For the sake of a few rupees, they have attempted to mortgage Bharat Mata. They are nothing but puppets dancing to the tune of foreign nations," Patra said.
Referring to Bora's statement that "our movement began in Bangladesh", he said the protests would neither spread beyond Jantar Mantar nor extend further into the country.
"Your movement in India may have started at Jantar Mantar, but it will also vanish into thin air right there at Jantar Mantar. It will go no further," he said.
Patra also cautioned the protesters against assuming that India was confined to the area around Jantar Mantar, describing the country as a vast nation shaped by thousands of years of historical consciousness. "Playing with the sentiments of India is no laughing matter," he said.
The protests against the SIR have brought together Opposition parties, activists and civil society groups, who have raised concerns over the electoral roll revision and demanded accountability from election officials.
