New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Sunday criticised those who "justify violent protests", claiming that such demonstrations are not merely expressions of dissent but aim at regime change.
In a post on X, Bhandari said that scenes of anarchy witnessed globally should serve as a wake-up call for people in India who support or justify violent protests.
Scenes of anarchy witnessed globally is a wake up to many in India who glamorise & justify violent protest. These protest are no innocent expression of dissent; their end Goal is Regime Change! Student of socio- political history will know Regime Change is forceful, violent, undemocratic. Believers in Democracy should unite against Anarchist!
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) October 18, 2026
Bhandari said, "Scenes of anarchy witnessed globally are a wake-up to many in India who glamorise & justify violent protest. These protests are no innocent expression of dissent; their end Goal is Regime Change!”
Bhandari further argued that regime change through force and violence was undemocratic and called on those who believe in democracy to unite against alleged anarchists.
“Students of socio- political history will know Regime Change is forceful, violent, and undemocratic. Believers in Democracy should unite against anarchists!" Bhandari added.
This comes after Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan, AISA (All India Students Association) president Neha Bora, and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera publicly used or discussed the phrase "regime change" during conferences and press addresses in Delhi in the context of the ongoing protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Student activists (including Neha Bora at the Socialist Students Front conference) made references to the Gen-Z student-led political uprising in Bangladesh that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The national capital has witnessed a series of Tricolour marches in recent days, with opposition factions and civil society groups taking to the streets waving the Indian national flag as a symbol of their protest.
The use of the Tricolour during street demonstrations has triggered a sharp political exchange. BJP leadership has accused opposition groups of using the national flag as a shield for political agitation and creating anarchy in the heart of the city.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has accused the opposition party, Congress and its allies of attempting to replicate a Bangladesh-style political upheaval in India, alleging that the protests were aimed at creating unrest rather than addressing electoral reforms.
“Attempts are being made to turn the country's youth into pawns of anarchic politics. Regime change is being pursued on the lines of Bangladesh,” Singh said in a press conference in Lucknow. (ANI)
