'Dig PM’s grave' slogan triggers row; Rijiju seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (December 15) demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over alleged threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life made by their party workers.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Rijiju claimed that during Sunday’s (December 14) Congress rally in the national capital, some party workers had threatened to dig the Prime Minister’s grave — something he described as “deeply unfortunate and tragic” for Indian democracy.

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“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi should apologise for their workers’ threat to the Prime Minister’s life. They must offer this apology on the floor of both Houses of Parliament. It is most unfortunate and tragic that Congress workers openly declared they would dig the grave of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

Ruckus in Parliament

Rijiju also raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, claiming that slogans calling for “digging the Prime Minister’s grave” were shouted at the Congress’s Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan yesterday.

On cue, all Treasury MPs rose to criticise the Congress and demand an apology. The House was adjourned till noon.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House JP Nadda raised the same issue and demanded an apology from LoP Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, saying such slogans, allegedly raised at their behest, reflected the party’s mindset towards the Prime Minister.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned as the Treasury benches erupted in protest.

The parliamentary affairs minister said the workers and leaders of the Congress and the BJP are political rivals, not enemies. "We propagate different ideologies but work together for a developed India as dreamt by Prime Minister Modi," he said.

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Rijiju said the political leaders wish each other in public despite political fights, which are separate issues, and leaders criticise each other in different ways.

"We oppose each other differently. We never think of killing each other, nor do we talk about that. What kind of mentality is this? What kind of practice is this where some people are threatening to kill political rivals openly?" he posed.

Congress urged to apologise in Parliament

Rijiju said Modi is the prime minister of 140 crore people, the prime minister of the largest democracy in the world.

"The whole world respects PM Modi, the whole of India respects PM Modi. But if some people in the opposition threaten to kill the prime minister, it is most unfortunate and tragic. It will not end by just condemning the incident.

"In Parliament, the Congress president (Kharge) and the Leader of Opposition (Rahul Gandhi) should tender an apology. They should tender an apology to the country on the floor of Parliament," he said.

'Threat' to PM condemned

Rijiju said if there is any humanity left in the Congress and if they respect the people of the country, they should immediately tender an apology in both houses of Parliament.

Also Read: SIR issue: Congress to hold ‘vote chor, gaddi chhod’ rally at Ramlila Maidan today

"Then only will we accept that they have admitted their mistake. Abusing a prime minister is not acceptable in a decent society. The prime minister has always said that we never consider the opposition as enemies but as political opponents.

"We are all working for the country. But to openly declare taking the life of the honourable prime minister, to dig the grave of Modi ji, is the most unfortunate thing we have seen in the political history of India," he said.

Stepping up the campaign on the issue of alleged election irregularities, top Congress leaders on Sunday (December 14) attacked the BJP and the election commissioners at a 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally in the national capital, alleging that "vote chori" is in the ruling party's DNA and its leaders were "gaddar" who were conspiring to take away voting rights of people and should be removed from power.