# BJP to intensify crackdown after retreat, Frontline says 2026-08-09T11:48:09+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Frontline reports that the BJP’s decision to withdraw the three farm laws was a tactical retreat, not a change of heart, and the party is now preparing to reintroduce similar measures when farmers are less organised. The government has already begun detaining protesters, with reports from Bihar and Bengal of arrests for logistics work and a Delhi Police dossier labelling thousands as 'habitual offenders'. Frontline warns that the state will likely use laws designed to keep people in prison without conviction, as it did with the Bhima Koregaon accused and anti-CAA protesters. On the electoral front, Frontline points to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, which has removed lakhs of names in states like Bihar (65-67 lakh) and Bengal (91 lakh), disproportionately affecting areas that lean opposition. The Election Commission defends the process as due process, but Frontline argues the pattern of deletions targeting opposition strongholds is too consistent to be coincidence. ## Coverage - frontline.thehindu.com Tags: BJP, election rolls, Farmers’ protest, Frontline, political tactics, SIR Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bjp-to-intensify-crackdown-after-retreat-frontline-says/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bjp-to-intensify-crackdown-after-retreat-frontline-says/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.