Shinde Sena MLA at it again, declares bounty for chopping off Rahul Gandhi’s tongue

Sanjay Gaikwad, Shiv Sena, MLA

Shiv Sena (Shinde) legislator Sanjay Gaikwad has courted yet another controversy, this time by announcing a bounty of Rs 11 lakh for chopping off the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's tongue over his remarks on the quota system. The threat drew a sharp reaction from Congress leaders, who warned against any such violent act, calling the MLA's statement an issue that would have wide repercussions.

Agencies reported Gaikwad as saying that Gandhi had said that he wanted to finish off the reservation system in India. "This has exposed the true face of the Congress. During his recent US visit, Rahul Gandhi talked about ending reservations. It shows the mindset that is inherently opposed to reservations. I will reward anyone who cuts off Rahul Gandhi's tongue with Rs 11 lakh," Gaikwad said. The Buldhana MLA added that Congress had defeated Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in elections.

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"Gandhi's comments are the biggest treachery for the people. Communities like Marathas, Dhangars and OBCs are fighting for reservation but before that, Gandhi is talking about ending its benefits," the MLA said, adding that Rahul Gandhi used to show the Constitution and spread a fake narrative that the BJP would change it. "But it is the Congress that plans to take the country back by 400 years," he said, according to reports coming in from Buldhana.

'Book him'

State Congress President Nana Patole said that the MLA had committed a very serious act that will have an impact on the forthcoming elections, and ensure the NDA (Mahayuti)'s electoral doom. He dared adversaries to harm Gandhi whose statements were distorted to mislead the people. "(Eknath) Shinde-ji, please restrain Gaikwad before it's too late. A person who doesn't know how to behave as a public representative should not speak about Rahul Gandhi. He should find his level. Publicity hound Gaikwad must be booked for his threat. The people are watching the government's goondaism, dictatorship and Taliban Shahi," said Patole, adding that the Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis should also talk about his incident.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said that Gaikwad did not deserve to live in society and politics. "We want to see whether the home minister invokes charges of culpable homicide against Gaikwad," added Londhe. Many Congress leaders wanted to know the BJP-Sena's reaction if a similar threat was made to their senior leaders. A day before, the Congress had protested BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah's statement that, if he didn't mend his ways, Rahul Gandhi too would suffer the same fate as his grandmother.

BJP distances

Shinde Sena hadn't reacted till this report went to print, but Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekar Bawankule distanced from the comments. "I will not support or endorse Gaikwad's comments. However, we cannot forget that the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed reservations saying it would affect the progress. Rajiv Gandhi had said giving reservations means supporting idiots. Now Rahul Gandhi says he would end reservations," he said. "We will sensitise the SCs, STs, and OBCs and inform them of the comments of Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. Even Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange should think about it," he said.

No stranger to rows

Gaikwad, an MLA from Buldhana Assembly seat in Vidarbha region, is no stranger to controversies. Last month, a video of a policeman washing his car had gone viral on social media. Gaikwad later explained that the policeman cleaned the vehicle voluntarily after vomiting inside it. In February, Gaikwad had claimed that he had hunted a tiger in 1987 and had been wearing its tooth around his neck. Soon after, the state forest department sent the purported tiger tooth for forensic identification and charged Gaikwad under the Wildlife Protection Act.

(with inputs from agencies)