Pawan Khera responds to Rajnath Singh’s regime change charge, saying Congress wants to defeat the government through elections amid the Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd campaign.
October 16, 2026: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday hit back at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh over his allegation that the opposition was attempting a Bangladesh-style regime change, declaring that the Congress had openly stated its objective: to defeat the BJP government through democratic elections.
Addressing a press briefing at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office on 24 Akbar Road, New Delhi, Pawan Khera defended the opposition’s “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd” campaign and questioned why Rajnath Singh was treating the demand for a change of government as suspicious when the Congress had made its political intentions explicit.
“How does regime change happen in a democracy like India? Through elections,” was the central argument of Khera’s response.
Congress leader Pawan Khera took a sharp swipe at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, saying, “Mr Rajnath, I am so sorry. I did not expect you to be so anti-Constitution.”
Challenging Singh to look back at 2013 and recall the BJP’s actions against the Congress, Khera questioned the ruling party’s claims to be the defender of constitutional values, turning Singh’s own accusations back on the government.
His remarks came hours after Rajnath Singh, speaking in Lucknow, accused the Congress and its allies of exploiting youth protests and electoral grievances to create unrest and pursue a Bangladesh-style political upheaval.
Pawan Khera asks Rajnath Singh why he is playing detective
Taking a sarcastic swipe at the Defence Minister, Pawan Khera likened Rajnath Singh to “Jagga Jasoos” and Sherlock Holmes, questioning why he was attempting to uncover the opposition’s intentions when the Congress had openly declared them.
Khera said the opposition was not concealing its political objective. The Congress wanted to defeat the incumbent government, change the existing system and bring about a change of regime through elections, he argued.
He pointed to the political transition of 1977, when the Congress lost power following the Emergency, as an example of a government being removed through the democratic process.
The Congress leader’s argument was that electoral competition and the replacement of an incumbent government are fundamental features of parliamentary democracy, not evidence of a conspiracy to destabilise the country.
‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd’: Congress doubles down on campaign
Pawan Khera reiterated the Congress’s commitment to its “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd” campaign, which has become a rallying cry for the opposition’s challenge to the Election Commission and the electoral process.
The campaign is linked to allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the deletion of voters’ names. Opposition leaders have demanded accountability from the Election Commission and changes to the electoral process.
Among the demands raised during the wider campaign are the suspension of the SIR exercise, restoration of names allegedly removed from voter lists, the use of ballot papers and greater transparency in election procedures.
These remain demands and allegations advanced by the opposition; their merits depend on evidence and the responses of the relevant authorities.
‘They are no longer accustomed to democracy’
Khera also accused the ruling establishment of treating the opposition’s democratic objective as a threat.
He argued that the purpose of an opposition party is to challenge the government, mobilise public support and seek to replace those in power through elections. In his view, Rajnath Singh’s response reflected an unwillingness to accept the normal workings of democratic competition.
The exchange exposes the widening political divide over the protests linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the SIR exercise and allegations of “vote chori”.
While the BJP has accused the opposition of undermining constitutional institutions and encouraging disorder, Congress leaders insist that questioning electoral procedures and seeking a change of government are legitimate democratic activities.
Congress leader Pawan Khera taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by questioning the nature of the government’s claimed “vikas” (development), asking pointedly whether “Bulldoze is vikas? Hathras is vikas?”
He framed these as examples of the administration’s approach, referring to bulldozer demolitions and the handling of the Hathras case, while suggesting that Modi’s guiding mode or purpose seemed to be making things easier for certain interests rather than for ordinary citizens, in contrast to what a leader’s priority should be. The remarks formed part of his broader criticism of the government’s record on justice, due process, and priorities.
Pawan Khera also threw a scathing question to the Modi government: ““What kind of government appoints someone accused of raping a girl as a minister, and then detains her parents when they demand justice for her rape and murder?”
The real battle: Electoral trust and democratic accountability
The confrontation between Pawan Khera and Rajnath Singh has brought the debate over regime change into sharper focus.
For the Congress, the argument is that changing a government through elections is the essence of democracy. For the BJP, the concern it has voiced is that protests over electoral issues are being used to discredit institutions and create political instability.
Seeking to defeat a government at the ballot box is a democratic objective; allegations of electoral manipulation, institutional misconduct or attempts to destabilise the state require separate examination and evidence.
As the “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd” campaign continues, the larger question remains whether the controversy over electoral rolls and the Election Commission can be resolved through transparent procedures and credible accountability.
Pawan Khera’s message was unmistakable: the opposition wants a change of government, and it says the ballot box is the way to achieve it.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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