The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused opposition groups of attempting to destabilise India, linking Rahul Gandhi's INDI Alliance and Arvind Kejriwal's CJP to ongoing protests, according to The Times of India. The party's national spokesperson, Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi, set out the allegations at a press conference, the BJP said in its own statement on the event.
Coverage of the accusations came from several outlets. The Indian Express reported that the BJP president warned of a "foreign hand" as protesters were detained. The Hindu reported that Nitin Nabin said the BJP government would deal sternly with what he called "anarchists," naming Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal and the CJP.
Separately, ThePrint reported that Kishan Reddy accused the Congress of conspiring to weaken constitutional institutions for political gain. The Times of India framed the BJP's central charge as protesters plotting to destabilise the country.
The statements amount to a coordinated BJP messaging push against the opposition and the protest movement, though the reports cited do not set out the evidence behind the claims. No response from Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal or the CJP was included in the material summarised here.
What to watch next: whether the detained protesters are formally charged, and whether the opposition issues a direct reply to the BJP's allegations.
