The Congress party has demanded that action be taken against BJP spokesperson Printu Mahadev for allegedly threatening Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. The demand follows Mahadev’s controversial remarks made during a TV debate in Kerala. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal has written to Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting immediate action against Mahadev. He warned that failure to do so would be interpreted as government complicity in the matter.
Printu Mahadev, a former state president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, is currently a BJP spokesperson. He participated in a debate on a Malayalam TV channel, where he allegedly said that Rahul Gandhi should be shot in the chest. The comments were made during a discussion on the Ladakh violence.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Ramesh Chennithala has also called for the police to register a case against Mahadev, accusing him of issuing an open death threat against the Leader of the Opposition. He further alleged a collusion between the BJP and the CPI(M) due to the Kerala police’s reluctance to file a case. Venugopal stated that such inflammatory remarks from an official spokesperson of the ruling party not only put Rahul Gandhi’s life at immediate risk but also undermine the Constitution, the rule of law, and the basic security guarantees for every citizen, especially the Leader of Opposition. He also mentioned that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), responsible for Rahul Gandhi’s security, has issued several threat-related letters regarding his safety.