India, Oct. 18 -- The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has stepped up its political counteroffensive against Opposition-backed protests over alleged electoral irregularities and voter-roll manipulation, accusing the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc of using the "vote chori" campaign to advance a broader agenda of "regime change". With senior BJP and JD(U) leaders rallying behind the government's response, the ruling alliance is seeking to frame the protests as a challenge to constitutional processes rather than merely a demand for electoral reforms.

The controversy has intensified following remarks by extreme-left student leader Neha Bora, who drew parallels between the ongoing protests in India and violent upheavals in Bangladesh, ...