New Delhi: Congress leader and AICC Media & Publicity Chairman Shri Pawan Khera on Saturday said the country is witnessing widespread agitation, with youth on the streets in cities across India raising questions against the ruling party and Election Commission official Gyanesh Kumar.
Addressing the media at the AICC headquarters on 24 Akbar Road, Khera noted that people are agitated and asking questions of the government. He said that whenever questions are directed at Gyanesh Kumar, the BJP steps forward to answer, while the Prime Minister continues to avoid facing queries. Referring to the Congress campaign “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod,” he reiterated that the party’s stated objective is to defeat the government and change the system through democratic means.
Criticising Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks on “regime change,” Khera said seeking a change of government through elections is the legitimate role of the opposition in a democracy. He recalled regime changes in 1977, 1980, 1989, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2014, and quoted former President Pranab Mukherjee: “It is the Opposition’s duty to oppose, expose, and if possible, depose.” He alleged that the BJP, unused to being on the receiving end of democracy, labels legitimate questioning and protest as treason or anti-national.
Khera pointed to what he called double standards, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2013 speeches about “uprooting” the Delhi government, the BJP’s earlier support for activists who sought regime change, and differing treatment of the Indian diaspora depending on whether it raises questions or celebrates culture abroad. He also criticised Amit Shah’s off-the-record briefings to editors and alleged institutional influence of the RSS across universities, the Election Commission, bureaucracy and other bodies.
On the ongoing protests, Khera demanded the reopening of Jantar Mantar as a designated site and blamed the government for trader losses caused by metro station closures, barricading and restrictions that, he said, prevent peaceful demonstrations. He questioned the government’s foreign policy after reports that US official Sergio Gor confirmed a meeting between Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai, describing it as the summoning of India’s Foreign Minister on Indian soil.
Linking the government’s development claims to ground realities, he referred to cases such as Ankita Bhandari, Hathras, Bihar floods and Marathwada drought, asking where visible development exists. Khera said the Congress stands with all organisations conducting peaceful street protests, including the CJP tricolour march. He accused the BJP and sections of the media of misrepresenting a Supreme Court observation—related to the conduct of petitioner number six—as a rebuke to Rahul Gandhi, calling it an official falsehood that undermined the apex court. He said the anger of the ruling dispensation reflects an outgoing government whose narrative is slipping, and asserted that the Congress will continue to seek a change of regime through democratic processes.