The US establishment is sending a "message" to the Indian government through its reaching out to political opponents and critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it "could pull the rug under the feet" of the Indian government if New Delhi doesn't toe the American foreign policy line, a strategic affairs expert and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician told Sputnik India.
"The US is concerned about India's relations with Russia as well as opening of channels of communication between New Delhi and Beijing through a series of meetings between the top diplomats in recent weeks," remarked Savio Rodrigues.
He said that the idea of a "resurgent India" which was on its path to becoming a superpower in the next 10-15 years was something which wasn't acceptable to Washington, which has always liked to "position itself as a Big Brother".
"The US wants a weak government in India, which it could control. Or else, the US will move towards regime change," predicted Rodrigues.
The Indian politician reckoned that the US Deep State was working on multiple levels to try and undermine the authority of the elected government of the day.
"The State Department, Pentagon and groups like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) were the "thinking arms" of the Deep State, while the CIA was the executing arm. The NED is very instrumental in working with non-government players to create a narrative which is pro-American, like it is doing in India with the influencers right now," Rodrigues explained.
The expert suggested that the ouster of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which many in India's strategic community ascribe to American pressure tactics, was directly linked to Washington's gameplan to contain India.
He reminded that Hasina, while still in power, had been warning that a 'White Man' had offered her a hassle-free election in return for access to St Martin's Island. Rodrigues also emphasised that the former Bangladesh leader had cautioned about ongoing efforts to carve out a "Christian" state comprising parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The writer believes that the potential implications of having a Christian state in the South Asian neighbourhood would be deep, considering that India, being a secular democracy with a Hindu majority, is surrounded by theocratic setups – Pakistan is officially an Islamic state and Bangladesh has become increasingly radical since Hasina’s ouster.
"After Hasina's exit in Bangladesh, we are seeing the emboldening of radical Islamists," the expert stressed, spelling out concerns shared by many in India. "I believe that the rising influence of the Baptist Church in Andhra Pradesh is part of the same US gameplan. They are indirectly seeking to potentially pressure N Chandrababu Naidu into withdrawing support to the BJP-led government. The idea is to create a pressure point or multiple pressure points on India."
Significantly, similar US regime change concerns in India were prevalent in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections this year.
"If India becomes strong... it will upset the games of a few powers... That is why these powers want a weak government of Congress and I.N.D.I.A (the opposition alliance) in the country," Modi had said during an election meeting in April.