New Delhi: The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), claimed on Monday, February 14, that its activists had filed close to a thousand police complaints against Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi for a tweet he posted on February 10.
Gandhi’s tweet spoke about the “strength of our Union” and detailed that India is a “Union of cultures”, a “Union of diversity” and so on.
Towards the end of the tweet, Gandhi wrote, “From Kashmir to Kerala. From Gujarat to West Bengal. India is beautiful in all its colours.”
Taking particular objection to this line, the BJP members claimed that by failing to include any northeastern states in his tweet, Gandhi was threatening India’s “geographical integrity and security”.
In a statement issued on Monday, Assam BJYM media convener Biswajit Khound said, “Gandhi mentioned India as stretching from Kashmir to Kerala, and Gujarat to West Bengal, thereby eliminating Northeast from India. It carried a threat to India’s geographical integrity and security,”
Khound claimed that the BJP’s activists in the state had filed over a thousand complaints against Gandhi, however, neglecting to mention the names of the police stations where they had been filed. Moreover, it is not yet known whether cases have been registered on any of these complaints.
One of the supposed complaints even goes as far as to allege that Gandhi’s tweet amounts to indirect support of China’s claim over India’s northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh in particular, and that it represents the Congress’ “separatist mentality”.
“The Congress party is unfortunate for India and Rahul Gandhi is India’s problem,” Khound’s statement read.
News agency PTI also reported that an unnamed BJP spokesperson claimed that members of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Assam had also filed several complaints against Gandhi’s tweets.
Also read: Why Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Shahenshah’ Comment on Modi Shouldn’t Surprise the Right
Other tussles
On Friday, February 11, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had attacked Gandhi for allegedly demanding proof of India’s 2016 surgical strike as well as questioning the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines in the country.
“Look at the mentality of these people. General Bipin Rawat was the pride of the country. India conducted the surgical strike in Pakistan under his leadership. Rahul Gandhi demanded proof of the strike. Did we ever ask you for proof of whether you are Rajiv Gandhi’s son or not? What right do you have to demand proof from my Army?” The Hindustan Times quoted Sarma as saying.
The chief minister’s decision to bring Gandhi’s parentage into question drew heavy criticism from Congress members as well as other opposition leaders with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD) chief Jayant Chaudhary saying that BJP leaders should “wash their mouths out” and Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao demanding Sarma resignation.
Thereafter, members of the Congress’ youth and students’ wings staged protests on February 12 following which on Monday, February 14, the Telangana Congress, led by state party chief Revanth Reddy filed a police complaint against Sarma at the Jubilee Hills police station, the Deccan Herald reported.
Congress leaders in several states filed complaints against Sarma thereafter, with many calling for his resignation.
(With PTI inputs)