Congress leader arrested for provoking people to kill Indian PM Modi
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Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Raja Pateriya was detained on Tuesday in connection with his controversial remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported Indian media.
Pateriya was detained from his residence a day after he was booked for allegedly asking people to “kill” Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “save” the Constitution.
In the video, Pateriya was heard clarifying that by “killing” he meant defeating Modi electorally but the objectionable comment triggered a huge backlash.
“Modi will end the elections. Modi will divide on the basis of religion, caste and language. The future of Dalits, tribals and minorities is in danger. If you want to save the Constitution, then be ready to kill Modi. Kill in the sense of defeating him,” the state Congress vice-president said while addressing a meeting of Congress workers at Powai town in Panna district.
The FIR against the former state minister for technical education was registered by Panna police on the directions of state home minister Narottam Mishra after the video went viral.
The video triggered a political row as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the Congress. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the “reality of those who are undertaking Bharat Jodo Yatra is coming to the fore”.
“Congress people are not able to compete with PM Narendra Modi in the field, that’s why a Congress leader is talking about killing him. This is the height of hatred. True feelings of Congress are being revealed. An FIR is being registered against him and law will take its course,” Chouhan said in a statement.
After the backlash, Pateriya released a clarification video saying, "I am a follower of Gandhi ji and Gandhi's followers can not talk about murder. The video has been misinterpreted."
“It was not a complete video and I wanted to say to kill Modi politically people will have to unite themselves. The video is being projected wrongly and is of my speech in Pawoi tehsil of Panna district some time ago.”
The Congress distanced itself from Pateriya’s remarks. “It’s his personal statement. We will keep our party out of it. The Congress was born out of non-violence and it has lost Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Beant Singh to violence and terrorism. We do not support any type of violence, be it through statement or words,” state Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said.
