Amaravati: Following a series of controversial remarks about Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anil Bonde stated on Wednesday that, rather than cutting off the former's tongue, it should be given a 'chatka'.
Earlier, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad had offered a reward of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who cut off Gandhi's tongue.
MP Bonde said, "An MLA from Maharashtra has said that Rahul Gandhi's tongue should be cut off, which is wrong because I don't support violence. However, his tongue must be given 'chatka'."
"Rahul Gandhi, who holds a constitutional post, has committed a very serious crime against India. Eighty per cent of the population in this country belongs to Adivasi, Dalit, and OBC communities, who benefit from reservations. On one hand, Rahul claims that the BJP will abolish reservations and change the Constitution, but when he goes abroad, he says that if the conditions are favourable, reservations could be removed," he added.
The BJP MP also emphasised that the Congress MP is doing this to appease minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians.
Meanwhile, the Congress has raised objections to the controversial remarks made about Rahul Gandhi. Earlier today, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken approached a police station in the national capital to lodge a complaint against BJP leaders over threats to the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Maken also named Sanjay Gaikwad, an MLA from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, who had publicly offered a bounty of Rs 11 lakh on September 16 for anyone who would "cut off" Rahul Gandhi's tongue.
The complaint further named Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, claiming that Bittu referred to Rahul Gandhi as the "number one terrorist of the country" during a public statement on September 15.
Maken argued that this statement was intended to incite violence and disturb public peace. According to the Rajya Sabha MP, the statement was widely circulated on TV channels and social media.
On Tuesday, Party President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi, calling for strict action against NDA leaders.