Congress wants Bangladesh-like regime change, using youth to fuel anarchy: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused the Congress and its allies of exploiting protests in Delhi to push for a Bangladesh-style change of regime and using young people to fuel "anarchy".

In Short

• Rajnath Singh accuses Congress of using Delhi protests for regime change
• Says Opposition exploiting youth's energy to spread anarchy, not nation-building
• Says democracy forbids disorder and attacks on constitutional institutions

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused the Congress and its allies of using protests in the national capital to seek a change of government along the lines of Bangladesh and using the energy of young people to spread "anarchy", news agency PTI reported.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Singh said democracy did not give anyone the licence to create disorder or undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions.

"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."

Singh alleged that the Congress and its allies wanted a change of government in India similar to the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh that toppled the Sheikh Hasina government.

"They 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," he said.

The minister said the use of terms such as "regime change" showed that the Opposition's campaign was not about electoral reforms or issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

His remarks came amid large-scale protests in the national capital by Opposition parties and civil society groups seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision process. Opposition leaders have alleged that the exercise lacks transparency and could exclude eligible voters, according to PTI.

Referring to the Supreme Court's observations on Thursday, Singh said Gandhi and his allies needed to understand that democracy did not permit attempts to create anarchy, undermine constitutional institutions or obstruct India's development.

"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 said falsehoods, anger, attempts to malign institutions and political opportunism could not obstruct India's development. He advised Gandhi to respect the people's mandate and reflect on his political role instead of pursuing what he called "politics of destruction" in the name of protecting democracy.

Reiterating his call for dialogue, Singh said, "India's future is everyone's responsibility. We must choose the path of dialogue and nation-building, not confrontation."

- Ends