Congress Spokesperson Challenges BJPs Claims Linking Protests to Foreign Influence
Udit Raj questions BJPs claims of foreign influence in protests, calling for evidence and accountability from intelligence agencies.
New Delhi, October 23 (Daily Kiran) : Congress spokesperson Udit Raj has strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent statements linking ongoing protests in India to unrest in France. He has demanded that the BJP provide concrete evidence to support its claims.
Raj questioned the BJP’s assertions, stating, “If there is any such evidence, it should be presented. News is just news; no definitive statements have been made, only possibilities have been expressed. If there is a possibility, what is our Home Minister doing? Is he only focused on elections? What are the NIA and RAW doing? If there is a conspiracy underway in the country, it should be stopped, and agents and provocateurs present in India should be apprehended first.”
He further remarked that if this is indeed a plot by an international gang, it should not merely be a topic of media discussion. Raj expressed concern over why BJP leaders bring such sensitive issues to the media, emphasizing that these matters fall under intelligence jurisdiction. “What happens is often unseen, and what is visible is not always true. What is our intelligence apparatus doing? It should cover and thwart this conspiracy,” he added.
Raj also responded to allegations from RSS leader Indresh Kumar, who claimed foreign funding is behind the ongoing protests. He pointed out that several RSS-affiliated organizations are registered in the United States and the United Kingdom. “If we are to investigate foreign funding, those organizations should be the first to be scrutinized,” he stated. He called for an investigation into the RSS headquarters, which he estimated to be worth around 300 crore rupees, as well as the funding of regional RSS buildings and over 290 BJP offices, questioning why they point fingers at others when their own hands are not clean.
Additionally, Raj commented on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s statement regarding the procedure for removing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Birla likened it to the process for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, indicating that if the opposition brings a motion for impeachment, it will be discussed as per procedure.
Raj criticized the law regarding election commissioners established by the government in 2023, labeling it extremely dangerous. He asserted, “This law grants immunity that no one else receives. If Gyanesh Kumar or any election commissioner commits a wrongdoing, no action can be taken against them while they are in office. Is there such a law anywhere?”
He alleged that the government passed this law using its majority in the Lok Sabha, knowing that as long as they remain in power, it will be impossible to remove the election commissioner under this law.
In response to the removal of over 70 photographs from Rehan Vadra‘s exhibition at Bikaner House, Raj stated that the management claimed some images violated their policies and were political in nature. He argued, “There should be no policy restricting this. Painting, art, and culture are forms of expression and truth. If an artist does not capture ongoing movements and events, what will they do? This is the government’s bias. They have removed the pictures under pressure from the BJP and are now making excuses about policy. What policy? Art is art, and painting is painting.”
