The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 16 October launched a sharp attack on the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-organised 'Tiranga rally' held at Connaught Place in New Delhi, describing the protest as a deliberate attempt to destabilise India's economy during the ongoing festival season. The remarks came at a press conference addressed by BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi.

BJP's Core Charge

Trivedi alleged that the rally — staged at the heart of central Delhi's commercial district — was part of a broader pattern of what he termed 'regime change' politics, involving conspiracy, violence, and collaboration with foreign powers. He drew a sharp distinction between democratic change of government and what he characterised as externally backed attempts to destabilise elected administrations.

'Congress, the INDIA bloc, and the declining Left parties, facing diminishing public support and see little possibility of political success. Consequently, terms such as ‘regime change’ — referring to attempts to overthrow governments through violent struggle, conspiracy, or collaboration with foreign powers — are increasingly appearing in Indian politics,' Trivedi said.

Attack on Rally's Scale and Timing

The BJP leader sought to dismiss the turnout at the protest, arguing that the Inner Circle and Outer Circle of Connaught Place — named after former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi respectively — routinely draw comparable weekend crowds with no political mobilisation. He suggested the choice of venue was calculated to magnify the apparent size of the gathering.

'Even if 100-200 people gather without them doing anything, they will feel as if they have pulled off something major,' Trivedi remarked.

Linking the Rally to Anti-Paper Leak Movement

Trivedi alleged that the organisers behind the Tiranga rally were the same 'foreign-backed forces' whose 'true face' had emerged within months of the earlier anti-paper leak protest movement. He urged students across age groups to guard against being used as 'pawns', claiming their sentiments had been exploited under the guise of examination reform advocacy.

'What started out as a campaign to bring in examination reforms revealed its true face within months,' he said.

Economic Context Invoked

Citing the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s recent revision of India's growth forecast to 7 per cent, Trivedi argued that the protest's timing — during the festive season in a key business zone — was intended to disrupt economic momentum. 'On the other hand all these forces are attempting to interrupt the nation's growth,' he said. The BJP's framing positions the rally not merely as a political challenge but as a threat to India's macroeconomic stability at a sensitive commercial period.