Congress filed a complaint on Wednesday against four BJP leaders and their alliance partners, including Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, for allegedly issuing open threats to eliminate or cause bodily injury to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. The party demanded strict action from the Delhi Police.
Congress treasurer and former Union Minister Ajay Maken lodged the police complaint at the Tughlak Road police station in the national capital, accompanied by a team of lawyers.
In his complaint, Maken named several BJP leaders and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde camp) MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. He highlighted that BJP leader and former MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah issued an assassination threat against Rahul Gandhi during a BJP event in September. Maken cited Marwah’s statement: “Rahul Gandhi baaz aaja, nahi toh aane wale time mein tera bhi wohi haal hoga jo teri dadi ka haal hua” (you better behave, or you will meet the same fate as your grandmother), referencing the assassination of Smt. Indira Gandhi.
Regarding Gaikwad, Maken stated that on September 16, he publicly announced a bounty of Rs 11 lakhs for anyone who would “cut the tongue” of Rahul Gandhi. Additionally, Maken pointed out that Bittu, on September 15, referred to Gandhi as the “number one terrorist of the country” during a media interaction.
Maken asserted that Bittu’s comments were intended to provoke public hatred and incite violence, breaching the peace. He also noted similar remarks from Uttar Pradesh government minister Raghuraj Singh, who described the Leader of the Opposition as the “number one terrorist of India.”
Maken argued that these statements by various BJP leaders and their allies reflect a personal vendetta against Rahul Gandhi. He asserted that such utterances are designed to create unrest and provoke riots among the general populace. Gandhi has consistently raised issues affecting marginalized groups, including women, youth, and dalits, which he claims has not been well-received by the BJP and its allies.
Furthermore, Maken warned that these leaders intend to jeopardize the safety and security of the Leader of the Opposition and disrupt public peace, particularly in light of the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. He emphasized that the BJP leaders are actively spreading these inflammatory statements through social media and other channels to incite public aggression against Rahul Gandhi and Congress members.
Maken demanded that an FIR be registered immediately under the relevant provisions of the BNS, 2023. He stressed that labeling the Leader of the Opposition a “terrorist” undermines the public office he holds and obstructs his duties in advocating for marginalized sections and exposing the incumbent government’s failures.
Maken concluded that the BJP and NDA leaders’ actions constitute criminal intimidation and public mischief, aimed at creating enmity and inciting hatred against Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.
On Tuesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the threats to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to rein in his leaders. Kharge characterized the assassination threats against Gandhi as a very dangerous trend.
ALSO READ: AAP’s Swati Maliwal Claims Atishi’s Parents Linked To 2001 Parliament Attack Accused SAR Geelani
