The Congress party has formally lodged a complaint with Home Minister Amit Shah regarding what it describes as a "chilling and heinous" death threat against Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. The threat was allegedly made by Printu Mahadev, identified as a spokesperson for the Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during a televised debate.
In a letter addressed to Amit Shah, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal expressed grave concern over Mahadev's remarks, in which he reportedly stated that "Rahul Gandhi will be shot in the chest". Venugopal characterized this statement as a "cold, calculated, and chilling death threat" against a prominent political leader. The Congress party views this as not merely a slip of the tongue but a deliberate act of incitement to violence.
The letter emphasizes the potential danger to Rahul Gandhi's life, asserting that such threats undermine the Constitution, the rule of law, and the security assurances owed to every citizen, especially the Leader of the Opposition. Venugopal urged Shah to initiate immediate and exemplary legal action against Mahadev, holding the state police accountable for ensuring swift and visible justice. The Congress party has warned that any failure to act decisively would be seen as complicity, effectively legitimizing violence against Rahul Gandhi and violating the Home Minister's oath.
The Congress party also highlighted that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), responsible for Rahul Gandhi's security, has previously raised concerns about threats to his safety. Venugopal noted that a letter addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge regarding these threats was leaked to the media under questionable circumstances, raising concerns about the intentions behind the leak.
The letter also referenced the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, emphasizing the heightened seriousness of such threats given the history of political violence against the Gandhi family. The Congress party believes this threat is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of a toxic environment of hate. They argue that this environment makes the Leader of the Opposition vulnerable to violence and that the threat is an attack on democracy itself.
Kumari Selja, a senior Congress leader, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the gravity of the threat in light of the assassinations of Rahul Gandhi's grandmother and father. The Congress party insists that disagreements in the political arena should be resolved politically, within the constitutional framework, not through death threats on live television.
