Shiv Sena MLA Offers Rewards for “Chopping off” Rahul Gandhi’s Tongue, Modi also Attacks the LoP

Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 16: A Shiv Sena member of the Maharashtra Assembly Sanjay Gaikwad has sparked off a controversy by offering a reward of Rs 11 lakhs to anyone who could chop off the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tongue after deliberately twisting his recent remarks in the United States that his party would have ended reservation “when India becomes a nice country and India is still not a nice country.”

Mr Gaikwad announced the reward concluding the remark as the Congress party’s decision to end reservation if it come to power in the country. He said he would give ₹ 11 lakh to anyone chopping off Mr Gandhi’s tongue for his remarks on scrapping the reservation system.

While the Maharashtra BJP has immediately distanced itself from Mr Gaikwad’s remarks, the Shiv Sena leader and chief minister Eknath Shinde, however, is so far silent over his party MLA’s violent statement. The Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekar Bawankule said he did not support the MLA’s remarks. BJP is a constituent of the Shiv Sena-led government in the state.

“While he was abroad, Rahul Gandhi said that he wants to finish off the reservation system in India. This has exposed the true face of the Congress,” Mr Gaikwad told reporters, before announcing the bizarre reward.

“During his recent US visit, Rahul Gandhi talked about ending reservations. It shows the mindset that is inherently opposed to reservations. I will reward anyone who cuts off Rahul Gandhi’s tongue with ₹ 11 lakh,” Mr Gaikwad said. The Congress had defeated Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in elections, he added.

“Gandhi’s comments are the biggest treachery of the people. Communities like Marathas, Dhangars and OBCs are fighting for reservation but before that, Gandhi is talking about ending its benefits,” the MLA said. “Rahul Gandhi used to show the Constitution book and spread fake narrative that the BJP would change it. But it is the Congress that plans to take the country back by 400 years,” he said.

Mr Bawankule distanced the BJP from Gaikwad’s comments. “I will not support or endorse Gaikwad’s comments. However, we cannot forget that the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed reservations saying it would affect the progress. “Rajiv Gandhi had said giving reservations means supporting idiots. Now Rahul Gandhi says he would end reservations,” the BJP leader said. “We will sensitise the SCs, STs and OBCs and inform them about the comments of Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Even Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange should think about it,” he said.

Atul Londhe, spokesperson of Maharashtra Congress said, “Sanjay Gaikwad does not deserve to live in society and politics. We want to see whether Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis invokes charges of culpable homicide against Gaikwad.” Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap said, “I condemn such people and comments. These people have spoiled the politics of the state.”

Mr Gaikwad, an MLA from Buldhana assembly seat in Vidarbha region, is no stranger to controversies. Last month, a video of a policeman washing the Shiv Sena MLA’s car had gone viral on social media. Gaikwad had later claimed that the policeman cleaned the vehicle voluntarily after vomiting inside it.

In February, Mr Gaikwad had claimed that he had hunted a tiger in 1987 and has been wearing its tooth around his neck. Soon after, the state Forest department sent the purported tiger tooth for forensic identification and charged Mr Gaikwad under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a meeting in Ahmedabad in his home state of Gujarat on Monday fiercely attacked Gandhi but without naming him for his comments in the US. He said “those filled with hate are defaming India”, in sharp comments seen as his first (and veiled) response to Mr Gandhi’s remarks on various topics including one on freedom for religious minorities, like the Sikhs, in the country.

The PM did not name the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha but accused “some people” of acting against the interests of the country. Some filled with negativity are targeting India’s unity. Those filled with hate are not leaving any chance to defame India and Gujarat… want to do tukde, tukde (break-up) the country,” he said.

He also made campaign references ahead of the first phase of voting, on Wednesday, for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election, hitting out at the Congress and its ally, the National Conference. The two have promised to restore special status for J&K under Article 370, which was scrapped by the ruling BJP, which also split J&K into two union territories, in August 2019.

Looking to strike an emotive note with voters in J&K and in other poll-bound states this year, including Haryana and Maharashtra, Mr Modi said the first 100 days of his third term had seen him insulted and mocked by his critics, but that “if I live for you… I will sacrifice myself for you.”

Rahul Gandhi’s comments in the US – at various public events, including those attended by Indian students and diaspora community members – have drawn fierce responses from a battery of union ministers, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, but this is the first time Mr Modi has alluded to the Congress leader’s jabs.