The Congress party has sounded a major alarm, calling a televised death threat against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi “cold, calculated, and chilling.” The party framed the threat as a direct assault on Indian democracy itself and sought urgent action against a BJP spokesperson in a sharply worded letter to Home Minister Amit Shah.
What Exactly Was The Threat?
The BJP’s Kerala unit spokesperson, Pintu Mahadev, made comments during a televised discussion that sparked the uproar. The Congress party has described the statement as a direct death threat, even if the sources do not provide the exact phrase from the broadcast.
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, in his letter to the Home Minister, asserted that this was not a casual or accidental comment. He wrote, “This is neither a slip of the tongue, nor careless hyperbole. It is a cold, calculated and chilling death threat against the leader of the opposition and one of India’s foremost political leaders.” The party believes Rahul Gandhi’s “vehement fight against the RSS-BJP ideology has rattled them,” leading to such extreme rhetoric.
Disagreements in the political arena must be solved politically, within the Constitutional framework. BJP leaders, however, are giving death threats to their political opponents on live TV.
Surely, @RahulGandhi ji’s vehement fight against the RSS-BJP ideology has rattled them.… pic.twitter.com/u3thQiA6Iv
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) September 28, 2025
How Did The Congress Party Respond?
The Congress response was swift and severe. KC Venugopal’s formal letter to Amit Shah serves as both a complaint and a political challenge. The party has drawn a clear line, stating that while political disagreements are normal, they must be resolved within the constitutional framework.
The letter also cited a history of previous threats against Rahul Gandhi on social media, some allegedly linked to BJP supporters, which referenced the assassinations of his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The Congress argues that the latest threat is not an isolated incident but the “symptomatic of a deliberately cultivated, toxic atmosphere of hate.”
What Action Has Been Demanded?
The Congress has urged the Home Minister to act “immediately and decisively” against the BJP spokesperson. The party issued a stark warning, stating that a failure to take action would be seen as “a de facto licence” for legitimizing violence against the Leader of the Opposition.
Beyond legal action against an individual, the Congress is demanding a broader accountability. They have criticized the Kerala state government and police for not acting against the individual, with senior leader V.D. Satheesan alleging an “agreement with the BJP.” He referred to the spokesperson as a “follower of Nathuram Godse,” linking the threat to the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin.
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Why is This Being Called an Attack on Democracy?
The Congress party is framing this incident as more than a personal threat against an individual leader. Their letter emphasizes that millions of Indians see Rahul Gandhi as a defender of rights and pluralistic values. Therefore, they argue, a threat against him is an attack on the democratic principles he represents.
In a powerful show of defiance, Congress leaders have stated that Rahul Gandhi will not be intimidated. V.D. Satheesan reminded the public that Gandhi has grown up witnessing profound personal tragedy. “They want to end Rahul Gandhi. The democratic people of India will not permit that. He does not surrender before anyone… You cannot scare him,” Satheesan declared, setting the stage for a significant political confrontation.
