New Delhi: The Congress Party has formally written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding urgent and stringent action against BJP spokesperson Pintu Mahadev for allegedly issuing a direct death threat to Rahul Gandhi during a televised debate.
The letter, dated September 28 and signed by senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, described Mahadev’s remarks as “cold, calculated and chilling”. Congress stated that the threat exceeded political rhetoric, putting the Leader of the Opposition in immediate danger, and called it “not a slip of the tongue, nor careless hyperbole”, but an act that incites violence and undermines constitutional guarantees and basic security assurances.
Highlighting past security concerns, the party noted that the CRPF, responsible for Gandhi’s protection, had previously flagged multiple threats in letters to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress alleged that one such communication was leaked to the media “under mysterious circumstances.” Against this backdrop, the party said Mahadev’s remark could not be seen in isolation and raised serious questions about a broader effort to normalize violence against Gandhi.
During the News18 Kerala debate, Mahadev reportedly said, “Rahul Gandhi will be shot in the chest.” Congress described this as a “brazen act of incitement of violence”, noting that similar threats and calls for violence have circulated on social media platforms linked to the BJP, creating an atmosphere of hate around the Leader of the Opposition.
Congress demanded that Amit Shah clarify the ruling party’s position on criminal intimidation, death threats, and violence in political discourse. The party urged the Home Minister to ensure immediate and exemplary legal action through state police, warning that failure to act would amount to complicity.
The letter referenced the Gandhi family’s tragic history, including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, stating that a death threat against Rahul Gandhi is “not merely an attack on an individual; it is an assault on the democratic spirit he represents.”
