The BJP has criticised AISA president Neha Bora over her remarks praising Bangladesh’s 2024 Gen Z uprising, alleging that opposition leaders are encouraging unrest in India. The controversy intensified after lawyer Prashant Bhushan called for “regime change” during a joint press conference.
Bora, who has participated in recent protests against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, made the remarks while virtually addressing a conference organised by Bangladesh’s Socialist Students’ Front.
She said the Gen Z movement in India had taken inspiration from Bangladesh’s student-led protests and praised the movement for showing the way. She also expressed solidarity with students fighting for democratic and voting rights.
The 2024 protests in Bangladesh began over government job quotas but later expanded into a nationwide agitation, ultimately forcing then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to leave the country.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that Bora’s remarks reflected Rahul Gandhi’s thinking and accused the Congress leader of pursuing regime change through street protests. The party also criticised Bhushan’s comments as evidence of an attempt to promote disorder.
Neither Bora nor Rahul Gandhi had responded to the allegations at the time of the report. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rashid Alvi accused the BJP of using democracy as a pretext to suppress young protesters.