'Refrain or face same fate as your grandmother': Cong demands FIR over BJP leader's 'threat' to Rahul

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Friday demanded that a FIR be filed over a purported "threat" issued by a BJP leader to Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in the US concerning the Sikh community. The Congress also called for a review of the Rahul's security, citing his new role as a Leader of Opposition , which is equivalent to Cabinet rank.

Members of the Delhi BJP's Sikh cell staged a protest on Wednesday against Rahul Gandhi, demanding an apology from him over his remarks in the US concerning the community.

"Rahul Gandhi baaz aaja nahi toh aane wale time mein tera bhi wohi haal hoga jo teri dadi ka haal hua (Rahul Gandhi, refrain from such things, otherwise in the coming time, you will also suffer the same fate as your grandmother)," Marwah was heard saying in the video shared by several Congress leaders.

दिल्ली BJP का नेता और पूर्व विधायक, तरविंदर सिंह मारवाह ने आज प्रदर्शन के दौरान कहा:

“राहुल गांधी बाज आ जा, नहीं तो आने वाले टाइम में तेरा भी वही हाल होगा जो तेरी दादी का हुआ”

BJP का ये नेता खुलेआम देश के नेता प्रतिपक्ष की हत्या की धमकी दे रहा है.@narendramodi जी, अपने… pic.twitter.com/tGisA5dfNu

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 11, 2024

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said, "When the leader of the opposition has received a threat from a BJP leader, then this FIR should have been filed by the government by now. If they don't do it then we will take the initiative."

"He is the leader of the opposition, a cabinet rank. Your BJP man is saying this. First of all our demand is, if BJP is sincere, if they want to maintain democracy in India, if genuinely they are not with what 'Marwah' has said, they should have registered FIR by law and reviewed Rahul Gandhi Ji's security," Bajwa was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said Rahul Gandhi has raised concern at the way SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities are being treated in the country, and it might start happening with Sikhs too.

"He has spoken in favour of the rights of Sikhs, we appreciate him. The BJP is upset that Rahul Gandhi has spoken in favour of Sikhs. That is why it is presenting his statement in a distorted manner," Channi said.

"We are with what Rahul Gandhi has said. The BJP should stop playing with the sentiments of Sikhs. The BJP is trying to defame Rahul Gandhi in the name of Sikhs. They are constantly speaking against Rahul Gandhi and are threatening him with death. This is not good for the democratic system of India," Channi said.

Addressing a gathering of Indian Americans on Monday, Gandhi accused the RSS of considering some religions, languages, and communities inferior to others and said the fight in India is about this and not about politics.

"The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to a gurdwara. That is what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions," Rahul Gandhi said.

The BJP protesters raised slogans against Gandhi, demanded his apology for "humiliating" Sikhs, and held the Congress responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the country.