The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, accused the Opposition of amplifying a 'regime change' narrative it claims is being orchestrated by 'unidentified and suspicious foreign entities' with the stated aim of inciting violence in India. The allegation was made at a press conference in New Delhi by BJP national spokesperson and Member of Parliament Sudhanshu Trivedi, and came a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and other Opposition leaders publicly described 'regime change' as 'inevitable.'

What the BJP Said

Addressing the press conference, Trivedi drew a direct line between domestic Opposition voices and what he characterised as a cross-border conspiracy. 'As India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continues to progress and establish its position on the global stage, there are forces that are unhappy with this development. These forces exist both within and outside the country, and a clear nexus between them is visible,' he said.

Trivedi also referenced protests taking place across Europe, arguing they were making what he described as a coordinated pattern 'clearer to every Indian citizen.' He directly questioned Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and the Indian National Congress (Congress), asking what intelligence Raut possessed about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that even Congress's own senior leaders purportedly did not.

The Vijayadashami Reference

Much of Trivedi's framing drew from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Vijayadashami address delivered on Tuesday, 20 October. The BJP spokesperson said Modi had explicitly warned of forces working to destabilise India through 'corruption, divisions in society and opposition to Indian culture and religion.'

Trivedi invoked the mythological figure of Ravan to explain the BJP's position, alleging that each time one demand of protesting groups was met, a new one emerged — with the 'root cause,' as he put it, lying deeper. 'The same phrases and words are repeatedly used in different movements, and this common thread needs to be recognised,' he said. He further cited the episode of Ravan disguising himself as a sage to suggest that disruptive forces conceal their true intentions.

The Opposition Trigger

The BJP's remarks were a direct response to statements by Uddhav Thackeray and other Opposition figures who had used the phrase 'regime change' and called it 'inevitable.' Trivedi took a pointed jab at Thackeray, questioning how a leader who claims to carry the legacy of the late Balasaheb Thackeray could align himself with forces the BJP accuses of undermining religion and culture.

Trivedi also cited statements about a visitor from Vietnam triggering 'regime change' — an apparent reference to remarks made by Sanjay Raut — and questioned the pattern of political predictions being made after foreign travel or foreign references. 'Be it talks about dropping a hydrogen bomb after coming from abroad, or predicting a tsunami, and now, Sanjay Raut's statements indicate that these actions are being orchestrated by unidentified and suspicious foreign entities who seek to incite violence in our nation,' he alleged.

BJP's Confidence in Public Support

Trivedi asserted that the Modi government retained strong public trust and that any attempt at 'regime change' through alleged conspiracy would not succeed. 'The dream of regime change will be shattered when it collides with the firm resolve of 140 crore patriotic Indians, just as glass shatters when it strikes a stone,' he said.

He also flagged what he described as economic harm to businesses and traders caused by protests during the festive season — typically among the most commercially active weeks of the year — framing the disruption as evidence of anti-development intent.

Political Context

The exchange reflects a sharpening confrontation between the ruling BJP and a fragmented Opposition heading into a politically charged period. The BJP's invocation of foreign interference echoes a recurring line of attack it has deployed against Opposition-led protests over the past several years. Critics argue that labelling domestic dissent as foreign-funded is itself a political strategy to delegitimise opposition voices — a charge the BJP has consistently denied. How the Opposition responds, and whether any verifiable evidence of foreign interference emerges, will determine the durability of this narrative cycle.