Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sep 18 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Anil Bonde has called for ‘burning’ the tongue of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, sparking a fresh row with the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders fuming, here on Wednesday.
Bonde was reacting to ruling Shiv Sena’s Buldhana MLA Sanjay Gaikwad who had announced a bounty of Rs 11 lakh to anybody who could ‘snip off’ Rahul Gandhi’s tongue for his purported stand against reservations during his US tour recently.
Flaying Gaikwad’s statement, Bonde said that instead of chopping off Rahul Gandhi’s tongue, it should be inflicted burns (‘chatka’), as he had gone abroad and allegedly insulted the country.
“Gaikwad’s language of ‘cutting off’ tongue is not appropriate… What Rahul Gandhi spoke about quotas is shocking. If someone goes abroad and talks like a fool, then his tongue should be burned,” proposed Bonde.
Gaikwad’s statements a couple of days ago had ignited a major political row that left the ruling MahaYuti embarrassed and resulted in an FIR against him in the state.
A livid Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also raised the matter directly with PM Modi, first greeting him on his 74th birthday, and then asking him to rein in the BJP leaders making unbridled comments against Rahul Gandhi.
In their initial reactions, shocked Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leaders lashed out at the BJP for blatantly "spreading" hatred all over the country.
Congress’ Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “This shows that there is a 'Nathuram Godse' lurking in every alley now, but this time they will not be able to kill a Gandhi, or there will be repercussions".
SS (UBT) spokesperson Kishore Tiwari terms it “a sinister strategy of the BJP which wants to ‘silence’ the Opposition at any cost”, and they are targeting Rahul Gandhi’s tongue as he boldly challenges the government on all major issues.
“As the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi’s plain questions of ‘accountability’ are getting a global impact. The frustrated BJP is unable to counter this, so they resort to the violent language of killing or chopping off his tongue. This is unfortunate, and PM Modi should personally order his men to stop it,” demanded Tiwari.
NCP(SP)’s National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto said that the BJP leaders "seem sick in their minds and need mental treatment as it has a potential of fomenting trouble in the country".
“Elected leaders like MLA Gaikwad and MP Bonde are making violent statements against Rahul Gandhi is not good. They must be booked under the laws,” demanded Crasto.
A senior Mumbai Congress leader said that for the first time in years, the BJP has ‘tasted’ the real power of a Leader of Opposition and is now fumbling to counter his influence, and trying to scare him with threats of severing or burning Rahul Gandhi’s tongue.
Tiwari added that MVA activists have already lodged an FIR against Gaikwad and now will lodge a similar police complaint against Bonde for his wild utterances, with complaints against them all over Maharashtra.