New Delhi: BJP Thursday reacted furiously to AISA national president Neha Bora’s praise of Bangladesh’s Gen Z movement.In a video message for a students’ event in Bangladesh, Bora reportedly said that the Gen Z movement seen “everywhere” in India first started in the neighbouring country and congratulated them. She claimed that the movement that began in Bangladesh was “democratic” and for “voters’ rights”.BJP also pointed to senior advocate Prashant Bhushan’s call for a regime change, saying that the remarks vindicated the party’s suspicion that the real motive of Rahul Gandhi and those associated with him is to topple an elected govt in the guise of leading protests over the SIR and students-related issues.BJP said Rahul has been trying to “appropriate” Bora, who has emerged as one of the young spearheads of the anti-govt protests, because he wants to replicate a Bangladesh-like regime change.“The main purpose is to form a govt at any cost, without fighting elections,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, accusing the protesters of being traitors who had sold out to foreign interests.“There is a pattern which shows that the objective of Rahul Gandhi is not democratic resistance but legitimisation of anarchy, and fighting the Indian state and its democracy,” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.He alleged that the Congress wants a Bangladesh-like situation for the people of India.BJP said people with faith in the democratic system and the Constitution should oppose this “anarchy”.“This is not political resistance. This is an anarchic march and an anarchic revolt. Their goal is regime change,” Bhandari claimed.In Bangladesh, Islamist student activists and organisations, known for their pro-Pakistan and anti-India stand, had spearheaded the stir in the neighbouring country. Incidents of violence targeting Hindus were also reported during the time.Bora’s message came days after Nahid Islam, a former student leader in Bangladesh, supported the protests in India.Speaking to the media Thursday, Prashant Bhushan said spreading “disaffection” against a govt is not a crime in a democracy. He said the struggle is now “really for a regime change”.Delhi BJP functionaries too criticised Bora, Bhushan and Rahul Gandhi. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the Congress leader of opposition should “clarify whether he agrees with Bora’s reported statement. Malhotra alleged that the movement was neither about NEET, nor the election commissioner, but aimed at creating instability and building an anti-government campaign.He also accused the Congress, AAP, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal of encouraging young people associated with anti-govt politics.Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Thursday’s news conference by some of the protest’s main faces had demonstrated that the movement was not about education or employment but a conspiracy to change govt.
