Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Sambit Patra on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, alleged that the Congress, the INDIA Bloc, and what he described as 'anti-national forces' are orchestrating anarchy to destabilise India's democratically elected government under the cover of seeking a 'regime change.' Patra made these remarks at a press conference in Bhubaneswar, with the BJP central office in New Delhi subsequently circulating the key points of his address.

Core Allegations at the Press Conference

Patra argued that the national flag is a symbol of the country's sovereignty and cannot be invoked to shield unlawful conduct or justify civil disorder. He specifically flagged the proposed protest at Ramlila Maidan on 1 November 2026, alleging that the Congress and INDIA Bloc were attempting to engineer chaos as a pretext for bringing down the government.

He urged citizens to reject what he called these alleged conspiracies through democratic means, citing the 1984 anti-Sikh massacre as a historical cautionary example, and called for the protection of the country's unity and constitutional institutions.

Claims About Rahul Gandhi's Foreign Travels

Patra claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had travelled abroad specifically to formulate a strategy for regime change, and that efforts were underway to politically revive him by fomenting domestic unrest. He alleged that Gandhi had held meetings with George Soros and members of his family during these overseas visits.

Using a pointed analogy, Patra said: 'Even a satellite requires fuel to be launched; nothing gets launched on its own. There is now no fuel left behind Rahul Gandhi, as all of it has been exhausted.' He added that thousands of attempts to launch Gandhi politically had failed, and alleged a 'final attempt' was now underway — one that he claimed involved 'setting the country on fire.'

Patra stressed that the BJP would present all evidence regarding Gandhi's foreign activities to the public, and that the party's response would not be limited to a single press conference.

Judicial Custody of Activists: BJP's Reading

On the judicial custody of activists Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka, Patra said the Delhi High Court had clarified that their custody stemmed not from hoisting the Tricolour but from violations of the conditions of their peace bond. He cited the court's observation — 'the people remain the same, but their issues change' — as raising, in his view, serious questions about the intentions, associations, and objectives behind the broader protest movement.

BJP's Constitutional Counter-Argument

Patra reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position that India 'will neither bow down nor be destroyed,' and emphasised that any change of government rests solely with the people through their votes. The BJP central office in New Delhi issued the salient points of the press conference, signalling that the party intends to continue publicly challenging what it describes as ulterior motives behind recent protests.

This comes amid a wider political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition INDIA Bloc, with both sides escalating rhetoric ahead of the 1 November 2026 Ramlila Maidan protest. How the government and judiciary respond to the planned demonstration is likely to shape the next phase of this political stand-off.