The BJP accused student leader Neha Bora of plotting regime change after she praised Bangladesh’s recent protests. Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed her comments show a plan to replicate the unrest in India. Bora said, "The movement that began in Bangladesh was for democratic and voter rights," during her recent interview.
New Delhi:
The BJP, it believes, has proof now. More so, its national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari who has latched onto student leader Neha Bora's "Bangladesh showed us the way" comment, claiming this is an "open admission of regime change".
The 29-year-old student leader, who studied at Delhi University before beginning a doctorate at Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of Arts and Aesthetics, in an undated interview is heard saying that the Gen Z movement that India is witnessing first began in Bangladesh, New Delhi's strategic partner and a close ally crucial to its border security, particularly in the north-eastern states.
"The Gen Z movement we are seeing everywhere in this country first started in Bangladesh and congratulations to you for showing us the way and extending solidarity to the young people of this country," she is heard saying in the clip shared by the BJP leader.
Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's dramatic ouster on 5 August 2024 followed weeks of student-led protests which spiralled into deadly, nationwide unrest.
Bora highlighted that India, like Bangladesh, is fighting for restoration of "democratic and voter rights" in India as it protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral malpractices.
"We know that the movement that began in Bangladesh was for democratic and voter rights. Today the movement that the young people are participating in and leading is also a movement for democratic and voting rights," she said.
"We know that the fight that you fight against religious fundamentalism in your country is also the fight that Gen Z and the young people of this country are fighting today," she added.
The BJP spokesperson's assessment stems from this very clip, concluding that this an "open admission for regime change".
"Rahul Gandhi and his entire ecosystem do not wish to offer mere political resistance; they aim for regime change. In an interview, Neha Bora stated that she is inspired by the Gen Z-led movement in Bangladesh, and they intend to replicate in India what took place in Bangladesh," Bhandari, who is aggressively shouting in the video, claimed.
"This proves that Rahul Gandhi's objective is not political resistance; rather, his goal is to destroy the Constitution and democracy within India. It demonstrates that the entire Congress ecosystem is solely focused on dismantling Indian democracy and orchestrating a regime change, similar to what happened in Bangladesh. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress ecosystem pose a danger to Indian democracy, and everyone who believes in Indian democracy should oppose him," Bhandari, a former journalist who gained notoriety for his high-energy "media trials", added.
In the same interview, Bora said she hoped that the two south Asian neighbours can fight together for a better world.
"And we hope that together you in Bangladesh and we in India can fight together for a better south Asia for a better world," she said.
This week, Neha Bora joined Rahul Gandhi-led Opposition INDIA bloc leaders' march to the Supreme Court against Gyanesh Kumar.
Rahul Gandhi and AISA chief Neha Bora interact during the INDIA bloc press conference in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision
Photo Credit: ANI
READ | A Step Behind Neha Bora: What Rahul Gandhi's Gesture Says About Congress' Gen-Z Pitch
At a press conference later, Gandhi refused to label parallel protests as different, calling them "one protest".
"All the protests are one protest. There are no parallel protests and the idea is India is marching. We do not care who you are, which formation you come from, if you are protecting the constitution, as we are, we are with you, we will help you, we will support you, we will protect you and expect the same from you. This is an expression of our love for Indian people," Gandhi had said.
Soft-spoken in conversation but forceful behind a microphone, Bora has built a following through speeches in Hindi and English, often invoking constitutional rights and linking student grievances to broader questions of inequality and government accountability.
Bora gained wider attention during protests in July over alleged leaks of exam papers, when she joined other activists in demanding the resignation of the education minister. Her speeches at Jantar Mantar, a historic protest site, criticising the government and police response to demonstrators, circulated widely online.
She has since become a fixture at demonstrations in the capital. During protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, she was repeatedly detained and returned to the streets after her release.
She said ideology alone does not drive the current mobilisation, describing hope as a more powerful force.
"Fear is infectious, of course. But hope is also infectious," she told news agency Reuters. "People have courage now because they think that they can have courage."
Bora said the demonstrations reflect the accumulation of years of grievances.