Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has triggered a row asking if US President Donald Trump will kidnap Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he did Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
The BJP has sharply reacted to Chavan's remark comparing Venezuela to India.
In a interview with IANS, while speaking on US tariffs on India, Chavan purportedly asked whether what happened with Venezuela could happen with India. “The question is, will India witness what happened in Venezuela? Will Trump kidnap our Prime Minister?,” Chavan said.
US commandos backed by warplanes, the navy and air strikes, forcibly seized President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in the early hours of Saturday.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari shared a clip from Chauhan's interview on X and slammed him for the comparison.
"Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan shamelessly comparing India's situation with Venezuela. By asking whether ‘what happened in Venezuela can happen in India’, Congress is making its anti-India mindset clear," the BJP national spokesperson said in a post on X.
Chavan also made similar remarks in an interview with news agency ANI.
He said what happened in Venezuela can also happen in India. He also slammed the Centre over its alleged silence on the issue, saying the developments in Venezuela were "against the United Nations Charter".
"Whatever has happened in Venezuela is against the UN Charter. An elected president has been kidnapped. It's a very grave concern that it could happen to any other country tomorrow. Tomorrow it can happen to India.
"India has not spoken as usual, not taken a stand on the Venezuela matter. Russia and China have taken a stand and slammed what America has done," he said.
"The same thing happened in the Ukraine war. We did not take any side. We did not take any stand on the Israel-Hamas matter, and now here we are, so scared of Americans that we are not even trying to criticise what has happened," he added.
India had on Sunday expressed its deep concern over the US action in Venezuela.
"Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region," the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a release.