‘We all want regime change, anything wrong?’ Bhushan attacks govt; BJP hits back

Prashant Bhushan addresses a press conference

NEW DELHI: Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday said a change of government would be justified if the ruling dispensation continued to undermine electoral democracy, asserting that citizens had a democratic right to seek regime change. Reacting to his remarks, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi’s ecosystem of promoting anarchy.Addressing a press conference in New Delhi alongside AISA president Neha Bora and CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, Bhushan rejected the government’s alleged characterisation of the agitation as an opposition-led attempt at regime change.“This government keeps on saying this is the opposition’s operation of regime change. We are only appealing to save the electoral democracy in this country. If such barbarism continues, there will definitely be a regime change. We all want a regime change. Is there anything wrong with that? Regime change is a democratic right of every citizen, and creating disaffection against the government is not an offence,” Bhushan said.He further accused the Modi government of undermining electoral democracy and citizens’ fundamental rights.“Such a government cannot continue, which is hell-bent on crushing the electoral democracy in the country and continues to play with the fundamental rights of citizens,” he said.The remarks come amid protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.At the same press conference, AISA president Neha Bora expressed solidarity with journalists and criticised the authorities over alleged restrictions on media coverage and the treatment of a woman journalist.

“We saw how cameras were snatched from journalists, and they were told that they would not get the camera if they cover this,” Bora said.

BJP accuses opposition of legitimising anarchy

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari had accused the march and the opposition’s campaign of seeking to legitimise anarchy rather than pursue democratic resistance. Reacting to a video of Prashant Bhushan’s remarks, Bhandari took to social media platform X, “Prashant Bhushan makes it clear: ‘Yes we want regime change!’ Rahul Gandhi’s ecosystem is Anarchic! They are owning up the Anarchy! People of India will defeat Anarchy. Democracy will defeat Rahul Gandhi!” he wrote.