NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday the issue of "extremely objectionable" and violent statements by ruling alliance members targeting Rahul Gandhi and urged him to discipline his leaders.
The Congress chief further sought instructions for them to behave ‘properly’.
In his letter to Modi, Kharge asserted that strict legal action should be taken against those giving such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from degenerating and nothing untoward happens.
"I have to say with sadness that the violent language used by the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and your allies is harmful for the future. The world is shocked that the Minister of State for Railways in the central government, a minister from BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, is calling the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha 'number one terrorist'," Kharge said in an apparent reference to the remarks by MoS Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and UP minister Raghuraj Singh.
"An MLA from a party that has ties with your government in Maharashtra is announcing a reward of Rs 11 lakh to the person who 'cuts off the tongue of the Leader of the Opposition and brings it to him'. A BJP leader and former MLA in Delhi is threatening to make him 'fate like his grandmother'," Kharge said.
Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad announced that he will give Rs 11 lakh to anyone chopping off Gandhi's tongue for his remarks on scrapping the reservation system.
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday said if those "manufacturing bombs" were supporting Gandhi, he is the "number one terrorist".
Minister in the BJP's UP government Raghuraj Singh reportedly made similar remarks as that of Bittu.
Earlier, BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marvah had purportedly made "threatening" remarks against Gandhi.
In his letter to Modi in Hindi, Kharge said Indian culture is known throughout the world for non-violence, harmony and love.
He said crores of Congress workers and leaders are very agitated and worried about this matter.
"I request and expect you to please impose discipline and decorum on your leaders. Instruct them to behave properly. Strict legal action should be taken for such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from degenerating. Nothing untoward happens," the Congress chief said.
