BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused AISA president Neha Bora of seeking regime change after she praised Bangladesh’s student movement on October 14. Bhandari claimed the protests aim to destroy Indian democracy through anarchy. He said, "The objective is regime change," linking her ideology directly to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s political agenda.
A political slugfest broke out over All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora's praise for Bangladesh's Gen Z movement, which eventually led to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster, with the BJP attacking her for "wanting a regime change through anarchy".
Bora has become one of the prominent faces of recent protests in the national capital against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
What did Neha Bora say?
In a video message on October 14, Bora extended her support to Bangladesh's Socialist Students Front on the occasion of its sixth national conference. She said young activists in India were learning from student-led movements in Bangladesh.
"...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 in the video shared by the movement's official account.
She added, "We extend our solidarity to you, we take inspiration from you, lessons from the movements that you lead, and we hope that together you in Bangladesh and we in India can fight together for a better South Asia, for a better world."
BJP targets Neha Bora, Opposition
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Bora of making an "open admission of regime change".
In a post on X, he said, "Neha Bora, who is the poster girl of Rahul Gandhi, proves Rahul's resistance is not political. The objective is regime change."
In a press conference on Thursday, Bhandari said that the objective of the protests is to "conspiring to destroy democracy in India".
"Look carefully... these are Neha Bora's words, but the ideology belongs to Rahul Gandhi. On the one hand, Rahul Gandhi is appropriating Neha Bora, while on the other, she is saying that they want an anarchic Gen Z movement in India similar to what happened in Bangladesh," he said.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo alleged that Bora and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi "want a change of government through complete anarchy".
"Their love and affection for Bangladesh have spilled out, and people have seen how much they now love Bangladesh. She is saying that Bangladesh was an ideal situation...Rahul Gandhi is giving Neha Bora more importance than his own party leaders because the reason is clear. Both want a change of government through anarchy, and both have fared miserably in electoral politics," he said.
Karnataka BJP MLC CT Ravi said in a post on X, "Is the movement against the CEC taking inspiration from the Bangladesh uprising that led to the fall of its government? What is being presented as a student-led movement must not become a cover for political destabilisation and anarchy."
Congress reacts
Congress leader Rashid Alvi said the party did not support anyone "taking law in their hands" when asked about the controversy surrounding Bora's remarks. Rejecting the BJP's allegations, he said any change of government in India would take place through democratic means.
"The BJP is invoking the very democracy that we are fighting to save. The entire nation is fighting this battle. Why is the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar being demanded? Because he has murdered India's democracy... The Bharatiya Janata Party cannot suppress this voice of the youth by invoking the name of democracy," he told ANI.