Rahul Gandhi and His Camp Cannot Bring About Regime Change: Raghubar Das

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and former Odisha Governor Raghubar Das has launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Left-wing groups, accusing them of attempting to destabilise the country through their political campaigns. He asserted that any change of government in India must take place through the ballot box, not through violence or anarchy.

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote theft’ allegations, Das said the Congress leader and those supporting his campaign were harbouring ambitions of regime change that would never be realised. He maintained that while questioning the electoral process was a legitimate right of the Opposition, such allegations must be backed by concrete evidence and addressed through constitutional mechanisms. Mere slogans and accusations, he argued, could not win public confidence.

Citing India’s political history, Das said voters had repeatedly demonstrated their power to change governments through elections. He pointed to the end of Indira Gandhi’s rule in 1977 as an example of how a government could be removed through the ballot box. He also criticised Communist groups, referring to the political divisions surrounding the 1962 India-China war, and claimed that Left-wing parties had lost their political influence. He credited Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s policies with weakening the Maoist insurgency.

### Questions over protests and alleged foreign influence

Das also targeted a movement he described as having begun in the name of education reform but subsequently becoming aligned with the Congress and Left-wing organisations. He questioned the movement’s agenda and funding and raised concerns about the sudden growth in its social media following.

He alleged that foreign forces were conspiring behind the campaign, although he did not provide specific evidence in the statement to substantiate the claim.

The former Chief Minister further argued that calls for regime change were receiving support from infiltrators and groups associated with extremist politics. Referring to recent unrest in France, he sought to draw parallels between such developments and political instability elsewhere. However, he did not specify which incidents in France he was referring to or provide evidence establishing a direct connection.

Das said Naxalism and extremist violence had posed serious challenges to development and peace in several parts of India. He maintained that any violent attempt to undermine the country's democratic institutions must be opposed.

At the same time, he said electoral transparency and the integrity of voter lists were essential to maintaining public confidence in democracy. Ensuring that eligible citizens were not deprived of their voting rights, he added, was equally important.

### Defends Modi government and electoral reforms

Referring to the Shaheen Bagh protests and earlier political campaigns against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Das said the Prime Minister had faced various challenges with patience and foresight.

He also defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that the exercise had strengthened national sovereignty by addressing the issue of alleged illegal immigrants. The actual impact of the revision, however, depends on its implementation and the safeguards in place to protect eligible voters.

Drawing a parallel with the Opposition's earlier slogan, ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’, Das predicted that the ‘vote theft’ campaign would eventually lose its political impact. He described the Modi government as both responsive and committed to public welfare.

Concluding his remarks, Das said both the government and the Opposition were accountable to the people in a democracy. He asserted that political power in India could be transferred legitimately only through elections and constitutional processes, not through violence or disorder.

He said the strength of Indian democracy ultimately rested on public trust, the Constitution and the ballot box.

(Author: Raghubar Das, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and former Governor of Odisha.)