SENIOR BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday accused the Opposition of pushing for a “regime change” and asserted that in India, Governments are chosen and changed by the “power of ballot”, not by the “threat of bullets”. Speaking with reporters here, Naqvi claimed that some political parties were in the grip of a “regime change craze”. “Barring the period of barbarity during the 1975-77 Emergency, in 18 general elections and hundreds of Assembly, Panchayat and local body elections, the people made ‘ballot’ as their weapon of mandate, not bullets,” the former Union Minister said. Naqvi said those pushing for a “regime change” should remember that in India, Governments are chosen and changed by the “power of ballot”, not by the “threat of bullets”. “Even today this people’s mandate through elections is the passion and spirit of our vibrant democracy and it is still strong and alive,” he said. Naqvi said the “national and international investors and sponsors” of the ongoing “anarchy, arrogance and chaos for regime change will be disappointed”.

 

“The lobby looking to lynch people’s mandate, is trying to put a gun to the head of democracy, and they will be wiped out,” Naqvi said. The BJP leader said the “sinister syndicate” must understand that the “conspiracy to defame, disturb, denigrate and destabilise the power of people’s mandate through mischief at Jantar Mantar” will be defeated. His remarks came after last week Union Minister Rajnath Singh lashed out at the Congress and its allies over protests in the national capital, accusing them of seeking a regime change along the lines of Bangladesh and using the energy of youth to spread “anarchy”. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Singh had asserted that democracy does not give anyone the licence to create disorder or undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions. The Congress had hit back at the BJP over its “regime change” charge, saying the ruling party needs to be reminded of former president Pranab Mukherjee’s statement that the job of the opposition in a democracy is to oppose, expose and depose.