BENGALURU: Commenting on Sanjay Gaikwad, a legislator from Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction, who offered a ₹11 lakh bounty to anyone who cuts off Rahul Gandhi’s tongue, senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad stated, “Gaikwad must be booked. This is part of the hate syndrome that has already claimed the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi. The rise of hate politics is to blame.”
He emphasized that such hate mongers never address crucial issues like development, healthcare, education, or women’s safety, but prefer to stoke division and make venomous statements.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy expressed disgust at this “sad reflection of the culture of those aligned with the BJP and its ecosystem.” He asked, “Why is Narendra Modi silent on this? Why haven’t he and leaders of their ecosystem condemned such a statement and taken strict action against the perpetrator?”
KPCC working president and Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed added, “The gravity of this statement cannot be understated. It’s a conspiracy to endanger Rahul Gandhi’s life. Congress will never tolerate such incitement!”
Demanding swift legal action and Gaikwad’s immediate arrest, he remarked, “This is their standard playbook whenever the BJP and its allies speak, it is to spew poison against the Nehru-Gandhi family. But this time, their ‘ugliness of hate’ has crossed every limit!”
He pointed out that this exposes the trend of “high-hate quotient” politics practiced by the BJP and its Sangh Parivar affiliates. As this dangerous rhetoric unfolds, political tensions are flaring up again. People are waiting to see if Gaikwad will face the consequences of his outrageous threat or if this wave of hate-fueled politics will continue to spiral.