Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accuses Congress of plotting violent regime change amid CEC protests

At a press conference in Lucknow, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh criticised the Congress party’s recent demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision, saying they are intended to erode democratic institutions rather than address voter-list concerns. He alleged that Congress wants to achieve regime change by unleashing violence, likening its tactics to the Bangladesh model.

Singh further accused the party of converting the Election Commission into a puppet, citing a 1993 episode when Congress allegedly altered the commission’s leadership. He noted that before voter ID cards were introduced, the party could not form a government on its own, implying a link between electoral reforms and its current opposition. Singh also urged Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi to recognise that democracy does not permit violent disruption.