Patra invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vijayadashami address, where the Prime Minister had identified the country’s enemies, to frame his remarks.
He said, “An enemy of India is someone who goes to a foreign nation to receive instructions on how to topple a democratically elected government, how to incite arson and violence, how to set fire to the Parliament, and how to disrupt the proper conduct of elections.”
The comments came after senior advocate Prashant Bhushan publicly called for a regime change during a press conference amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, flanked by activists from the All India Students’ Association and the Cockroach Janta Party.
BJP leaders warned that those advocating regime change under the guise of addressing religious fundamentalism would be treated as enemies and face prosecution for undermining constitutional institutions.
The party has announced it will file criminal charges against activists who allegedly seek foreign support to destabilise the government, with court hearings expected in the coming weeks.