Congress leader's 'Nepal-like situation in India' remark triggers BJP backlash

Congress leader Udit Raj’s comments linking India’s situation with the recent turmoil in Nepal have triggered a sharp reaction from the BJP, which termed his remarks “dangerous” and “anti-national.”

In a post on X, Raj noted that people were comparing India’s conditions with recent upheavals in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He argued that while inflation, unemployment and corruption were “worse in some cases,” India’s democracy had deep roots planted by the Congress, which made such unrest unlikely.

“People are discussing the way in which the public has uprooted power in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Could something like that not happen in India? Some people are even expressing the possibility of it happening. In fact, the circumstances are just the same, and in some cases even more so, but our constitution prevents us from doing so. The roots of our democracy are very deep, which were planted by the Congress,” the Congress leader said.

Speaking to ANI, Raj said that the BJP wanted to change the Constitution but could not succeed because “constitutional institutions are strong.” Otherwise, he said, “a situation like Nepal would have happened here as well.”

His remarks came against the backdrop of violent protests in Nepal, where a ban on social media and anger over corruption spiralled into nationwide chaos. Parliament was set on fire, over 13,500 prisoners escaped, and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign. The army has since taken control of Kathmandu, imposed a curfew and begun talks with protest leaders to reach consensus on who would lead the interim government in the Himalayan nation.

The BJP condemned Udit Raj’s comments. Party spokesperson CR Kesavan called them “dangerous” and accused the Congress of inciting unrest. He said the remarks reflected the same “emergency mindset” that led to the suspension of democratic rights in 1975.

“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,” BJP leader CR Kesavan said.

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma also joined the debate, dismissing speculation about Nepal-like unrest in India as “pure nonsense.” He argued that no one could predict such events in advance but added that “no government will ever dare” to ban social media for fear of public backlash.

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