BJP Rallies Across Agartala, Backs PM Modi and Criticises Congress Protest

Political tensions intensified on Wednesday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protest rallies in Tripura against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in New Delhi, demanding the prime minister's resignation.

The rally in Agartala was led by Tripura BJP president Abhishek Debroy, Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath, and the party's chief whip Kalyani Roy. Party leaders, workers and supporters marched through the city, raising slogans against Gandhi and accusing the Congress of pursuing politics that could damage the country's democratic institutions.

Addressing reporters, Debroy alleged that Gandhi's protest was aimed at attracting international attention rather than addressing domestic concerns. He claimed the demonstration outside the prime minister's residence was "anti-democratic" and accused the Congress leader of attempting to create political instability.

The BJP leader further alleged that Gandhi was trying to foster conditions similar to those witnessed in neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, but asserted that such efforts would not succeed. "We stand firmly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whose leadership India is progressing towards the vision of Viksit Bharat. Any attempt by the Congress to weaken democracy will be resisted strongly," he said.

The controversy stems from Tuesday's dramatic developments in New Delhi, where Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and several opposition leaders staged a surprise dharna outside the prime minister's official residence, demanding Modi's resignation.

The protest in the high-security zone prompted the government to send Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to persuade the leaders to end the demonstration. Talks, however, remained inconclusive.

Soon after the discussions failed, police removed and detained Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders from the protest site, bringing the high-profile standoff to an end. The incident has since triggered sharp political reactions, with both the ruling BJP and the opposition defending their respective positions and accusing each other of undermining democratic values