BJP slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘political resistance’ remarks

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari addresses a press conference at the party office in Delhi on October 15, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday (Oct 15, 2026) took issue with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s “political resistance” remarks, accusing him of promoting anarchy under the guise of democratic protest.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari referred to an alleged statement by Neha of the All India Students’ Association, which he described as advocating a “Bangladesh-style Gen Z movement in India”, and sought an explanation from Mr Gandhi in this regard.

The Congress leader has repeatedly used the term “political resistance” in the past few days, Mr Bhandari said, but his “intention is not democratic protest but to undermine Indian democracy through anarchy”.

During the October 12 march, the AISA leader was projected as one of its prominent faces, he said. “This indicates that her views are in line with those of Rahul Gandhi,” the BJP leader claimed, adding that in Bangladesh, extremist groups have tried to destabilize the system through mass action and riots to change the regime.

Mr. Gandhi and his allies were now engaged in a similar effort because they were unable to bring their family back to power through democratic means, Mr. Bhandari argued. He claimed that the Congress leader’s aim was neither “political resistance” nor democratic dissent but “legitimization of anarchy”.

“Rahul Gandhi and his ecosystem are trying to create distrust among people towards democracy, democratically elected governments and constitutional institutions by spreading false narratives. Voter turnout in several recent elections has exceeded 80%, reflecting public faith in democratic processes,” he said.

“Whether elections were conducted through ballot papers or electronic voting machines, whether in the by-elections in Tripura and Assam, the Delhi University Students’ Union polls or the youth elections in Chandigarh, young voters rejected and stood up to Rahul Gandhi’s anarchy,” Mr. Bhandari said.

“If Rahul Gandhi and his associates had devoted equal energy to public service as they did to the promotion of agitation and riots, the Congress party could have gained more popular support,” he said, adding, “The mandate of the people is determined by voting in elections, not by mobilizing crowds in the streets.

Published – 15 October 2026 23:15 IST