BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of seeking regime change through student-led unrest.
Neha Bora expressed solidarity with Bangladesh’s students, praising their democratic mobilisation.
BJP leaders linked her remarks to protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday targeted Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over AISA president Neha Bora's remarks over Bangladesh’s student-led movement that ousted Sheikh Hasina, alleging that her remarks revealed that Opposition want “regime change” in india through unrest.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari linked Bora’s remarks to her participation in Gandhi’s recent protest march and accused the Opposition of seeking power outside the democratic process.
The exchange followed after Bora, in a video message on October 14, said that she takes "inspiration" from the Bangladesh's movement.
BJP Links Bora’s Comments To Rahul Gandhi
Speaking at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Bhandari claimed that Bora’s support for the Bangladesh movement reflected Gandhi’s political intentions.
“Neha Bora said that she is inspired by the Bangladesh 'andolan' (movement) and that what happened in Bangladesh should happen in India as well. These are Neha Bora's words but Rahul Gandhi's view,” Bhandari alleged.
He described the Opposition’s mobilisation as an attempt to create political instability.
“This is not political resistance; this is an anarchic march and an anarchic revolt. Their goal is regime change,” he said.
In a separate post on X, Bhandari called Bora an example of what he alleged was a wider Opposition strategy to replace democratic resistance with unrest.
What Bora Said In Her Video
Bora, who has emerged as a prominent participant in protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, praised young activists in Bangladesh and said Indian students were learning from their campaigns.
“...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.
Bora also called for cooperation between young activists in the two countries.
“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,” she added.
Bangladesh’s student-led uprising eventually led to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. Bora’s message drew praise for that mobilisation, which BJP leaders interpreted as support for a similar political outcome in India.
CT Ravi Questions Protest Campaign
Karnataka BJP MLC CT Ravi also questioned whether the demonstrations against the CEC were drawing inspiration from Bangladesh’s uprising.
“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,” he wrote on X.
The protests involving Bora have centred on alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demands for Kumar’s resignation.
Congress Rejects Allegations
Responding to the controversy, Alvi said Congress did not support anyone “taking law in their hands”.
He rejected the BJP’s claim that the Opposition sought an undemocratic change of government, saying political change in India would occur through democratic means.
