A man has been arrested for allegedly shouting abusive slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an opposition rally in Bihar. The incident has sparked a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemning the act and filing a police complaint.
The incident occurred during the opposition's Voter Adhikar Yatra in the Darbhanga district of Bihar. A video circulating on social media purportedly shows an unidentified individual using Hindi slurs against Modi from a dais. The person is heard but not seen in the video. Bystanders can be heard admonishing the individual.
The BJP has reacted strongly to the incident. Union Home Minister Amit Shah called the use of abusive language a "stain" on the country's democracy. He also stated that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, the Congress party's politics have reached their lowest level. The BJP lodged a complaint at the Kotwali police station in Patna in connection with the incident. Krishna Singh Kallu, a BJP leader, has demanded legal action against Rahul Gandhi and called for a halt to the opposition's rally. According to Mr. Kallu, an FIR has been registered in connection with the case at Gandhi Maidan Police Station in Patna.
In response to the incident, Mohd. Naushad, a local Youth Congress leader in Darbhanga, apologized, stating that such derogatory words should not have been spoken against the Prime Minister. Naushad said that the person involved was a minor and was immediately reprimanded for the behavior. He also suggested that the act may have been perpetrated by opposition members or individuals with vested interests. Rashid Alvi, a Congress representative, stated that the party does not approve of such language and deemed the act condemnable.
The incident occurred during Rahul Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar, which he is undertaking along with Tejashwi Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other leaders from the Mahagathbandhan. The Yatra covers 1,300 km across 20 districts in the state. Rahul Gandhi and other prominent leaders were not present on the dais when the slogans were shouted. They had already left for Muzaffarpur from Darbhanga.
The BJP has asserted that the Congress-led INDIA bloc will be "punished" by the people in the upcoming assembly polls. The party also claims that the incident reflects the INDIA bloc's disregard for the Prime Minister's office. The Congress party maintains that it does not condone the use of abusive language and that the individual responsible will be held accountable.
