BJP Rajya Sabha member Anil Bonde has ignited controversy with his recent remarks about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Responding to statements made by Rahul Gandhi regarding reservation policies during his U.S. tour, Bonde suggested that ‘Instead Of Cutting Off Rahul Gandhi’s Tongue, It Should Be Burnt’, as previously suggested by Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. Gaikwad had infamously offered a reward for chopping off Gandhi’s tongue, but the BJP distanced itself from that extreme comment, even as it continued to criticize Gandhi’s stance on reservations.
The contentious comments quickly drew sharp reactions from various political figures. NCP-SP leader Clyde Crasto took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the remarks, stating, “BJP and its ally leaders seem sick in their mind and need treatment for mental health. First MLA Sanjay Gaikwad and now MP Anil Bonde have made violent statements against Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Both Gaikwad and Bonde are public representatives and are talking about violence. They must be booked by law.”
In response to these incendiary statements, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken took a firm stance by filing a complaint at the Tughlak Road police station in New Delhi. Maken’s complaint names several politicians, including Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, Delhi BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, and Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Singh. According to the complaint, these individuals have made statements that not only threaten Rahul Gandhi’s safety but also aim to incite violence and disrupt public peace, especially amid the ongoing elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana.
Maken specifically referenced Bittu’s public statement on September 15, where he allegedly called Rahul Gandhi the “number one terrorist of the country.” Maken claimed this statement was intended to incite violence and breach public peace, asserting that it was widely disseminated across television and social media platforms. Additionally, Maken cited a similar remark by BJP leader Raghuraj Singh on September 16, accusing Gandhi of being the “number one terrorist of India.”
Addressing the media in New Delhi, Maken expressed outrage over these statements, particularly noting the dangerous rhetoric used against a leader whose father and grandmother sacrificed their lives for the nation. “You are making these kinds of remarks… against a person whose father and grandmother sacrificed their lives for the nation. Politics can never stoop to this level… The leader of the BJP neither tried to silence him nor condemn his remarks,” Maken stated.
He also highlighted that the statements against Gandhi were attempts to undermine his ability to perform his duties as the Leader of the Opposition and were part of a broader campaign to incite aggression against the Indian National Congress. “You don’t like his comments because he speaks about minorities, Dalits, backward class, workers, saving the Constitution… We will not be afraid of death threats,” Maken added.
In his letter to the SHO of Tughlak Road Police Station, Maken requested the registration of an FIR under relevant sections for criminal intimidation and public mischief. He called for immediate legal action against the named individuals and their associates. Maken reiterated that the inflammatory language used by these leaders is not just an attack on Rahul Gandhi but also an attempt to disrupt the democratic process.
As the controversy continues to unfold, the incident has sparked a broader debate on the rhetoric used by political leaders in India and the boundaries of political discourse, especially during a sensitive election period.
