Fox News report links French riots to India protests against CEC

NEW DELHI: A recent digital investigation by Fox News has claimed to uncover links between the ongoing riots in France and youth-led protests in India demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The report has prompted a political dispute, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) citing it to allege a 'regime change plot' by the Congress and terming Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi a 'traitor'.

The investigation, titled 'Global Chaos Inc Grows to 101 Groups' and authored by senior editor Asra Nomani, identifies 101 organisations across nine countries operating within what it describes as a 'red-green protest ecosystem'. This ecosystem allegedly comprises communist and Islamist groups coordinating and amplifying demonstrations. The report specifically flags the France-based Indian Alliance Paris (IAP) for connecting French and Indian protest messaging, noting its partnership with the Manhattan-based People’s Forum.

The transnational anti-capitalist organisation Progressive International (PI) reportedly grouped the ongoing demonstrations in France, Spain, India, and Albania in an October 16 briefing. Meanwhile, the protests in Delhi have primarily centred on allegations of irregularities in voter-roll revisions, a charge disputed by the Election Commission and the BJP. The investigation also highlights funding links to pro-communist organisations, including CODEPINK, supported by American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham.

Citing the report, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the findings expose an 'anarchy and regime change plot' orchestrated by the Congress. 'Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is presenting a model of anarchy and gaddari before the country,' Bhatia said, demanding to know who leads these 'traitors'. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed the report proves that the Congress is under the 'remote control of foreign anti-democratic forces'.

Bhandari further alleged that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi met with the Progressive International at the Congress headquarters on April 10, 2025. He questioned whether Mr. Gandhi’s recent trip to Vietnam was intended to take instructions for a planned November 1 protest, urging the Congress to clarify its coordination with the global organisation.

This development highlights the deepening polarisation over electoral integrity in India. While the ruling party is leveraging the international investigation to question the opposition's motives, the report itself notes that the identified links do not conclusively prove that the domestic protests were centrally directed by a single global network. The narrative of a coordinated international alliance is being utilised to delegitimise the opposition's demands regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

The Congress has not yet issued an official response to the BJP's charges or the Fox News investigation. As the political battle over voter rolls and the Election Commission's credibility intensifies, the intersection of domestic electoral disputes and international protest networks is likely to remain a contentious flashpoint in Indian politics.