Renuka Chowdhury, the former Union Minister in the UPA dispensation and the current Rajya Sabha MP from Congress has called for the instability in India. In a conversation with former Congress leader and senior SC advocate Kapil Sibal, Renuka Chowdhury stated that there will come a time in the country when the citizens of India will come to the streets and launch a civil disobedience movement against the incumbent BJP dispensation.
Incidentally, on 10th February, senior advocate and former Union minister Kapil Sibal hosted a discussion on his YouTube channel, ‘Dil Se with Kapil Sibal.’ The conversation featured opposition leaders Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha, and Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary. Throughout the discussion, these leaders reiterated the long-standing opposition narrative, portraying themselves as victims while accusing the central government of suppressing freedom of speech and expression.
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury wants Civil Disobedience in India. Kapil Sibal disagrees with her. pic.twitter.com/wHAG2s08WF
— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) February 10, 2025
The panelists alleged that the BJP government exercises control over the country’s institutions, including the media and judiciary, thereby curbing the opposition’s ability to function freely. They expressed concerns over what they described as diminishing press freedom and shrinking democratic space. However, these claims align with the familiar rhetoric of the opposition, which has frequently accused the ruling party of authoritarianism without substantiating these allegations with concrete evidence.
A particularly controversial statement came from Renuka Chowdhury, who opined that the people of India might take to the streets and launch a civil disobedience movement against the central government in the near future once they will understand their constitutional rights. Such remarks can be seen as an attempt to incite public unrest, reminiscent of previous strategies employed by opposition leaders to create political turbulence.
There have been multiple instances where Indian opposition parties and their affiliated groups have used similar narratives to delegitimize a democratically elected government. This raises concerns, especially given the history of similar movements in countries like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, where mass protests led to the destabilization and eventual downfall of governments.
Also Read: BeerBiceps, Samay Raina profanity row: Time For Indian Urban Elites To Shut The Hell Up
Incidentally, individuals like so-called farmer leader Rakesh Tikait had brazenly threatened that a Sri Lanka like infamous incident could have taken place in India during the farmers’ protest on the day of Republic Day. Last year, protester for hire, Yogendra Yadav made a controversial speech where he instigated public to hit the street to save the Indian “Republic”.
In an event last year, he had said, “Republics are always saved on the street, not inside parliaments.”
The opposition’s approach also aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warning on October 8, where he accused the Indian National Congress of engaging in international conspiracies to weaken India’s economy and democracy. PM Modi stated, “For some time now, many conspiracies are being hatched against India. Many conspiracies are being hatched to weaken India’s democracy and social fabric. International conspiracies are being hatched. National parties like Congress and their allies are involved in this game.”
