Rahul Gandhi (left), PM Narendra Modi (ANI)
NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday demanded immediate action against BJP spokesperson Pintu Mahadev for allegedly issuing a death threat to leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi during a live television debate. Posting on X, the party called the statement “a cold and calculated death threat” and raised a series of sharp questions over what it termed a growing pattern of intimidation against its senior leadership.It further said remark was “no off-the-cuff statement or hyperbole,” and alleged that the incident reflects a deeper issue within the ruling party’s political approach.Raising serious concerns the party posed three key questions regarding the ruling party’s intentions:
- “Is this a larger, sinister conspiracy being hatched against the people’s leader, Rahul Gandhi ji?
- Does the BJP endorse the politics of criminal intimidation, violence, and even death threats?
- Is the BJP trying to normalise violence against the leader of the opposition – a constitutional position – and other opposition leaders who criticise its governance?”
The party went on to say “this is a direct assault on the rule of law, on the Constitution that guarantees safety and security to every citizen and to democracy itself.”The Congress linked the threat to Rahul Gandhi’s sustained criticism of the BJP-RSS ideology, “Rahul Gandhi ji’s fearless fight against the RSS-BJP ideology has rattled them. However, no threat or violence will deter him from standing up for the people of India and defending the Constitution,” the party said.Congress further demanded for immediate and stringent action against Pintu Mahadev by the state police, and an apology and condemnation of the threat from the BJP leadership.
- Immediate and exemplary action by the state police against Pintu Mahadev
- A public apology and categorical condemnation from the BJP leadership
The party warned that failure to act would amount to complicity by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah in the matter.Earlier Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Sunday wrote to home minister Amit Shah, demanding immediate, exemplary action against what he referred as a “chilling and heinous” death threat issued to Rahul Gandhi by Pintu Mahadev.
