'Circumstances similar': Congress' Udit Raj likens Nepal turmoil to India; BJP calls remarks 'anti-national'

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back hard at Congress leader Udit Raj on Thursday after he drew parallels between Nepal's dramatic political upheaval and India, also citing Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as examples. BJP leader CR Kesavan called the remarks "dangerous" and accused Raj of "deliberately inciting unrest," warning that such comments could stir unnecessary panic among the public.

In a post on X, BJP's Kesavan wrote, "These dangerous remarks from a senior Congress leader are blatantly anti-national and deliberately inciting unrest. The Congress leadership, both past and present, is always the greatest threat to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. The Congress party in 1975 murdered our Constitution and massacred our democracy. These remarks mirror the same emergency mindset of the Congress."



Udit Raj had compared Nepal’s recent political upheaval, which led to the resignations of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and President Ramchandra Paudel, with the situation in India. He mentioned that while "circumstances are similar," India's Constitution and democratic roots prevent such upheavals, crediting the Congress party for laying the foundation.

In his X post, Raj wrote: "People are discussing the way in which the public has overthrown power in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, and whether such a thing could happen in India. Some are even suggesting the possibility of it occurring. In reality, the circumstances are similar, and in some cases even more so, but our Constitution prevents such actions. The roots of our democracy are very deep, which were laid by Congress."


The remarks came in the wake of violent Gen Z-led protests in Nepal this week that swept across Kathmandu. On Tuesday, demonstrators stormed key government buildings, including Parliament and the President’s House, and targeted senior political leaders, including former prime ministers and ministers.

In one case, protesters reportedly set fire to a former prime minister’s residence, killing his wife in the blaze. The unrest forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and President Ramchandra Paudel to resign, marking one of the most severe political crises Nepal has experienced in years.

Select The Times of India as your preferred source on Google Search