Story perspectives

Bhushan Warns SIR Protests Have Turned Regime-Change Fight

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 10:03 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Urban Naxal Plot

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said at a Friday conference that protests over SIR electoral roll irregularities have become a fight for regime change.
BJP Nitin Nabin and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh portrayed the opposition’s “regime change” rhetoric as a plot linked to “Urban Naxals.”
Congress Pawan Khera cited Pranab Mukherjee’s “oppose, expose and depose” line, urging regime change.
BJP’s CR Kesavan said Bhushan’s remarks proved SIR process was a smokescreen against government.

Left

Regime Change Demand

Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said Friday protests over Election Commission’s revision of rolls have become a fight for regime change.
Coverage frames demanding regime change as a democratic right and notes the BJP used the same language while in opposition.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned the rhetoric mirrors Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising and threatens anarchy.
Activists Abhijeet Dipke and Neha Bora cited Supreme Court disaffection isn’t a crime, urging elections.

Blindspot

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera showed a 2013 video of Narendra Modi urging the public to ‘uproot’ the government, using it to argue that calls for regime change are not new.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

India’s 1975 Emergency, declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 25 June 1975, suspended democratic institutions and sparked nationwide opposition. During the Emergency, the government detained roughly 100,000 political activists, including Congress leaders like Morarji Desai and future Janata Party founders. Today’s calls for regime change by Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, BJP’s Rajnath Singh, and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera echo the 1975 anti-government protests. The Emergency’s legacy taught India that suppressing dissent fuels electoral backlash, prompting current parties to frame roll revisions as democratic safeguards.

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Urban Naxal Plot

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said at a Friday conference that protests over SIR electoral roll irregularities have become a fight for regime change.
BJP Nitin Nabin and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh portrayed the opposition’s “regime change” rhetoric as a plot linked to “Urban Naxals.”
Congress Pawan Khera cited Pranab Mukherjee’s “oppose, expose and depose” line, urging regime change.
BJP’s CR Kesavan said Bhushan’s remarks proved SIR process was a smokescreen against government.

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