New Delhi, Sep 18: On Wednesday, the Congress party formally lodged a police complaint concerning recent inflammatory remarks made by leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) targeting Rahul Gandhi. The complaint, submitted by AICC Treasurer and General Secretary Ajay Maken, alleges that these statements are intended to undermine Gandhi’s safety, disrupt national peace, and create unrest, particularly in the context of the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
Maken’s complaint, addressed to the SHO of the Tughlaq Road police station, specifically highlights statements from BJP leaders including Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Raghuraj Singh, as well as Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. The Congress party has called for the registration of FIRs against these individuals.
In his media address following the filing of the complaint, Maken expressed outrage at the perceived threats against the Gandhi family, referencing the sacrifices of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He criticized the current political discourse as being excessively degrading and accused the BJP of failing to address or reprimand the incendiary remarks made by its leaders.
The complaint details several specific allegations:
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- Tarvinder Singh Marwah: At a BJP event, Marwah allegedly issued a veiled threat against Rahul Gandhi, suggesting he could face a fate similar to his grandmother’s if he did not “behave.”
- Sanjay Gaikwad: The Shiv Sena MLA purportedly offered a bounty of ₹11 lakh for anyone who would cut out Gandhi’s tongue.
- Ravneet Singh Bittu: The Minister of State for Railways is accused of labeling Gandhi as the “number one terrorist” in the country, which the Congress claims was an attempt to incite public hostility and violence.
- Raghuraj Singh: The Uttar Pradesh government minister also reportedly described Gandhi as the “number one terrorist of India.”
The Congress party has raised serious allegations in its complaint, asserting that recent statements and threats made by various BJP leaders and their allies, which include calls for the assassination or physical harm of Rahul Gandhi and branding him as a terrorist, reveal deep-seated animosity from the BJP/NDA alliance towards the Leader of the Opposition. The Congress contends that these utterances are designed to incite unrest, provoke riots, and breach public peace through hate-filled rhetoric.
According to the complaint, Rahul Gandhi has consistently highlighted issues affecting marginalized groups such as women, youth, Dalits, and other disenfranchised communities, while accusing the BJP of failing to address these critical public concerns. The Congress argues that this advocacy has angered the BJP and its allies, leading them to orchestrate a campaign of derogatory and inflammatory remarks against Gandhi.
The complaint further alleges that these leaders, in coordination with their associates, have not only made these incendiary statements but have also actively disseminated them through social media and other platforms. This, the Congress claims, is a deliberate effort to incite public hostility and aggression against Gandhi and Congress supporters, based on false and motivated accusations.
The Congress emphasizes the urgent need for action, calling for the immediate registration of an FIR under relevant provisions of the BNS, 2023, to address what they describe as a well-coordinated criminal conspiracy aimed at undermining Gandhi’s safety and disrupting public order. The party argues that labeling Gandhi as a “terrorist” not only undermines his position but also obstructs his ability to perform his public duties. They assert that these acts of intimidation and public mischief are part of a broader strategy by BJP/NDA leaders to foment division, conflict, and enmity within the general public, orchestrated at the behest of top BJP/NDA figures.
Further, “In view of the above, the above-named persons, all connected with a common threat to the ruling BJP, hatched a well-planned criminal conspiracy, with other known/ unknown associates to commit the above acts. Accordingly, I request you to register an FIR, inter-alia, u/s 351, 352, 353, 61 of BNS, at the earliest, against the above-named persons and their associates,” the complaint by Maken said.