Take swift action against BJP leader for threatening Rahul Gandhi: KC Venugopal to Amit Shah

New Delhi [India], September 29 (ANI): Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding action against a BJP leader in Kerala for allegedly issuing a death threat to Rahul Gandhi during a televised debate.

In the letter to Shah, the Congress leader said that “failure” to act swiftly against “BJP spokesperson” Printu Mahadev will be judged as “complicity and normalisation of violence” against the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and “grave breach” of oath as the Union home minister.

According to Venugopal’s letter, the BJP spokesperson in the televised debate of News18 Kerala allegedly declared that ‘Rahul Gandhi will be shot in the chest.’

“In a brazen act of incitement of violence, Mr. Mahadev openly declared that ‘Rahul Gandhi will be shot in the chest.’ This is neither a slip of the tongue, nor careless hyperbole. It is a cold, calculated and chilling death threat against the Leader of the Opposition and one of India’s foremost political leaders,” said Venugopal in the letter.

The letter emphasised that these threats not only endanger the opposition leader but also threaten the Constitution and the rule of law.

“That such poisonous words are uttered by an official spokesperson of the ruling party not only places the life of Shri Rahul Gandhi in immediate danger, but also undermines the Constitution, the rule of law, and the basic security assurances owed to every citizen, let alone the Leader of the Opposition,” said the Congress leader, who also posted the letter in a post on X.

Additionally, given incidents like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) repeatedly sending letters about threats to Rahul Gandhi’s safety and one such letter addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Venugopal emphasised that such remarks are utterly reprehensible.

The Congress secretary also expressed that this behaviour suggests a disturbing and sinister conspiracy, which aims at justifying violence against Rahul Gandhi.

According to the letter, Venugopal said that this threat is not just a careless outburst of a petty functionary; it is a symptom of a deliberately cultivated, toxic atmosphere of hate that renders Gandhi vulnerable to mindless violence.

“This threat is not just a careless outburst of a petty functionary; it is symptomatic of a deliberately cultivated, toxic atmosphere of hate that renders the Lop vulnerable to mindless violence. As such, any failure by you to act swiftly, decisively and publicly will be judged as complicity – a de facto licence for the legitimisation and normalisation of violence against the Leader of the Opposition and a grave breach of your oath as Union Home Minister. The nation demands immediate, exemplary legal action through the state police so that justice is swift, visible and severe,” added Venugopal. (ANI)

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