MP: Congress leader Raja Pateria arrested day after his 'kill Modi to save constitution' video went viral

Damoh: Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Raja Pateria was arrested on Tuesday morning for his controversial `be ready to kill Modi to save the Constitution' remark about the prime minister.

He was arrested by the police from his residence in Hata town of the state's Damoh district, an official said.

"A police team went to his house around 5.30 am to inform him about the arrest. They took him to Pawai (in Panna district) around 7 am," Hata sub divisional officer of police Virendra Bahadur Singh told PTI.

Made comments while addressing a gathering in Panna

In a video that surfaced on social media on Monday morning, Pateria could be heard telling Congress workers at a meeting in Pawai, "Be ready to kill Modi. Kill in the sense of defeating him.....Modi will end the elections. Modi will divide on the basis of religion, caste and language. The future of Dalits, tribals and minorities is in danger. If you want to save the Constitution, then be ready to kill Modi. Kill in the sense of defeating him." Subsequently, a First Information Report was registered against him.

Pateria claims he is a Gandhian after video went viral

However, after the video went viral, Pateria issued a clarification and said that he is a Gandhian.

"I am somebody who believes in Gandhian ideology. That kind of person cannot talk of killing or violence. My remarks have been presented out of context in the video. What I meant to say was he needs to be defeated politically and thereby protect the Consitution of the land. To protect the interests of the tribals and reduce unemployment, it is necessary to defeat Modi. I have no interest in getting him killed; the remarks are misinterpreted," Pateria said.