SIR Row: Tharoor Rejects BJP’s Regime Change Charge

New Delhi, October 21, 2026: The political dispute over protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls grew on Wednesday. BJP president Nitin Nabin said that attempts are being made at the global level to challenge the democracies of several countries by fomenting anarchy. His remarks follow two days of exchanges between the government and the Congress over the BJP’s allegation that the protests are an attempt at “regime change.”

What was said

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday, October 19, rejected allegations that the Opposition was attempting to bring about a regime change in India along the lines of events in Bangladesh or France. Speaking to ANI, he said: “India is not Bangladesh and India is not France.”

Tharoor said the Opposition believes in and supports only peaceful protest and is only demanding free and fair elections, which is a Constitutional issue. He added that the Opposition is not trying to topple a government. He also alleged that large numbers of names had been deleted from electoral rolls and called for the disputed process to be reversed.

Who said what, and where

The exchange began with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. According to IANS, he on Sunday lashed out at “anti-India” gangs and some politicians for inciting youth in what he called a failed regime-change attempt. Writing on X, Rijiju said: “Regime change in India is absolutely possible — but only through elections, not through Soros.” The reference was to American billionaire George Soros, and hinted at a foreign conspiracy behind the recent flare-up.

Rijiju also drew a direct comparison, saying that a conspiracy similar to the violence in Bangladesh and the riots in France had been hatched for India.

On Wednesday, Nabin spoke at an event organised to mark the 75th foundation year of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor to the BJP. He did not name the Opposition. He said anarchy “is being leveraged to challenge the democracies of various nations” and urged party workers to connect younger generations with “cultural nationalism.”

Reactions

Other BJP leaders have backed the minister’s position. BJP State Executive Member Kali Prasad Rao slammed the opposition’s remarks on regime change, asserting India would not become Bangladesh. He said political change must come through elections.

The Congress has rejected these comparisons. The party dismissed the BJP’s attempts to link its peaceful protests against the Election Commission’s SIR exercise to violent riots in France. In separate remarks on Wednesday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the “vote chor, paper chor sarkaar” must go, while criticising the government over the CBSE on-screen marking row.

The Chief Election Commissioner and the BJP have denied opposition allegations that the revision is meant to benefit the ruling party.

Background

The nationwide SIR process was announced on 27 October 2025 by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission says the exercise is meant to clean voter lists. The BJP has backed the revision and said it is necessary to update new voters and delete the names of those who have either died or moved to other states.

In May 2026, the Supreme Court of India upheld the legitimacy of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and held it to be in consonance with the Representation of the People Act.

The current protests began earlier this month. On October 6, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi joined an opposition march in New Delhi. Al Jazeera reported that this march was the latest in a series of near-daily protests beginning last week led by student groups, opposition parties and India’s “Cockroach” youth movement. Protesters are seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Opposition parties claim that names of over 13 crore Indians have been left out of the voters’ list. The Election Commission has not accepted this figure.

State-level opposition has also hardened. On October 17, Tamil Nadu’s DMK alleged SIR has led to indiscriminate deletion of voter names, disproportionately affecting marginalised communities, minorities, migrant workers, and young voters. The party adopted resolutions it plans to take to President Droupadi Murmu.

What happens next

The issue is now in the courts and on the streets. According to Indian Opinion, the government has deployed heavy security in central Delhi, while the Supreme Court is examining whether the Chief Election Commissioner made key decisions on the SIR unilaterally, with the next hearing awaited. No hearing date had been publicly confirmed as of Wednesday evening.

In Parliament, the dispute is expected to come up again in the Winter Session. Rajya Sabha standing committees are currently meeting ahead of it. With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election approaching, both the BJP and the opposition are expected to keep the SIR issue central to their campaigns.

1. What is the SIR regime change row about?

The controversy centres on protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the BJP’s allegation that the Opposition is attempting to trigger regime change. Congress has rejected the charge, saying it is demanding free and fair elections.

2. What did Shashi Tharoor say about the regime change allegation?

On October 19, 2026, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor rejected comparisons between India and Bangladesh or France. He said the Opposition supports peaceful protests and is seeking free and fair elections, not the removal of an elected government.

3. What did Kiren Rijiju say about the SIR protests?

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused opposition leaders and groups of attempting to provoke unrest. He argued that regime change in India should happen through elections rather than through alleged foreign interference.

4. Why are opposition parties protesting against the SIR?

Opposition parties allege that the electoral roll revision could remove eligible voters’ names, particularly those from vulnerable communities. The Election Commission says the exercise aims to update voter lists and remove duplicate or ineligible entries.

5. What happens next in the SIR controversy?

The dispute is expected to continue through political protests, public statements and legal proceedings. Further developments will depend on the Supreme Court’s consideration of pending challenges and the Election Commission’s handling of concerns over voter-list accuracy.