New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda launched a fierce attack on Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge after the latter sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi expressing his "concern and disappointment" over remarks made against Rahul Gandhi. Nadda responded two days after Kharge's correspondence regarding comments directed at the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
"You have written a letter to PM Modi in an attempt to polish your failed product, which has been repeatedly rejected by the public, and bring it to the market due to political compulsion. After reading that letter, I felt that the things said by you are far from reality. It seems that in the letter you have either forgotten the misdeeds of your leaders including Rahul Gandhi or have deliberately ignored them, so I felt that it is important to bring those things to your notice in detail. It is sad that the oldest political party of the country has now become a 'copy & paste' party under the pressure of its famous prince," the letter said.
The Congress party had launched a multi-pronged attack on the BJP over recent statements from leaders of the ruling NDA against Rahul Gandhi. They held protests and filed a police complaint alleging that these remarks jeopardized the former party chief's security and threatened public peace in light of the ongoing and upcoming Assembly elections. The opposition party also claimed that the statements were part of a "clear conspiracy" involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning their silence on the issue.
In the complaint submitted to the station house officer (SHO) of the Tughlaq Road police station by All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer and general secretary Ajay Maken, the opposition party cited remarks from BJP leaders Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Raghuraj Singh, as well as those from Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. Maken requested the registration of FIRs against these leaders.
In the police complaint, Maken stated, "On September 11, Marwah, at a BJP event, openly issued an assassination threat against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying, 'Rahul Gandhi, baaz aaja, nahi toh aanewale time mein tera bhi wohi haal hoga jo teri dadi ka hua' (you better behave yourself, or you will meet the same fate as your grandmother)."
The complaint also referenced Gaikwad's announcement of a bounty of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who would cut off Gandhi's tongue. It cited remarks from Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu, who called Gandhi the "number one terrorist in the country."
"Bittu deliberately made this statement to provoke public hatred and outrage against Gandhi, aiming to incite violence and disturb public peace. This statement was widely publicized on television channels and social media," the complaint read. It also mentioned Uttar Pradesh minister Raghuraj Singh's claim that Gandhi is the "number one terrorist in India."
"In view of the above, the individuals named, all connected through a common thread to the ruling BJP, have conspired to commit these acts, with known and unknown associates. Accordingly, I request you to register an FIR under sections 351, 352, 353, and 61 of the BNS at your earliest convenience against the aforementioned individuals and their associates," Maken's complaint stated.
Additionally, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Anil Bonde remarked that Gandhi's tongue should be singed, calling his statements about reservation "dangerous." An FIR for inciting riots was registered against Bonde on Wednesday due to his controversial remarks about Gandhi.
(With PTI inputs.)