Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Jabalpur filed an FIR against Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Raja Pateriya on Monday for allegedly making a controversial statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The statement of a former minister and MLA against a higher constitutional post like Prime Minister is very unfortunate. This shows his mentality. How can he talk about killing the person who brought glory to the country? At one side they take out Bharat Jodo Yatra on the other giving this kind of statement,” said a BJP leader.
Former Madhya Pradesh minister and Congress leader Pateriya, stoked a controversy over his purported comments that people should be prepared to carry out Prime Minister Modi’s “hatya” (murder) to ensure that the Constitution is to be saved.
Following Pateriya’s purported remark, which has since then gone viral on social media, several BJP supporters began clamouring for the Congress leader’s arrest.
Pateriya, however, said on Monday that his comments were wrongly interpreted and that he meant to defeat Modi electorally.
“A video has surfaced on Sunday’s card distribution of the Mandalam sector in Powai, in which it is alleged that I had said I will kill Modi. I am a follower of Gandhi and a follower of Gandhi cannot talk of the murder of anybody. The video is nothing but misrepresentation of what I said,” Pateriya said.
“What I meant to say was it is necessary to defeat him to save this country’s Constitution. It is necessary to defeat Modi to protect minorities, Dalits, and tribals and to remove unemployment. My intention behind the ‘assassination of Modi’ remark has been misrepresented,” Pateriya said.
Pateriya purportedly made the controversial remarks on Sunday at a meeting of Mandalam Sector presidents organised by the District Congress Committee at Powai Rest House, which was attended by senior party leaders including Raja Pateriya, district Congress in-charge Manoj Trivedi and several party workers.
The former Madhya Pradesh minister could be heard saying that “PM Modi will end elections, divide people on the basis of religion and Dalits face the biggest threat under his regime”.
“You should be ready to carry out ‘Modi ki hatya’ if you want to save the Constitution…hatya (kill) in the sense of defeating him,” Pateriya is further heard saying.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday condemned the leader saying, “Making such a remark against the world’s most popular leader, who lives in the hearts of people, is a grave crime. Rahul Gandhi should answer if this is Congress’s policy or strategy. Where is the Congress going?” “Inciting people like this can have dangerous results. It is an unforgivable crime,” Chouhan added.
Reacting over BJP leaders meeting with DGP demanding further action against Pateria, Chouhan said, “What else do BJP leaders do, their demands for further action into the matter are justified.