Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Raja Pateriyawas detained on Tuesday in connection with his controversial remarks onPrime Minister Narendra Modi, reported Indian media.
Pateriya was detained from his residence a day after he was booked forallegedly asking people to “kill” Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “save”the Constitution.
In the video, Pateriya was heard clarifying that by “killing” he meantdefeating Modi electorally but the objectionable comment triggered a hugebacklash.
“Modi will end the elections. Modi will divide on the basis of religion,caste and language. The future of Dalits, tribals and minorities is indanger. 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 saidwhile addressing a meeting of Congress workers at Powai town in Pannadistrict.
The FIR against the former state minister for technical education wasregistered by Panna police on the directions of state home ministerNarottam 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 thefore”.
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“Congress people are not able to compete with PM Narendra Modi in thefield, that’s why a Congress leader is talking about killing him. This isthe height of hatred. True feelings of Congress are being revealed. An FIRis being registered against him and law will take its course,” Chouhan saidin a statement.
After the backlash, Pateriya released a clarification video saying, “I am afollower of Gandhi ji and Gandhi’s followers can not talk about murder. Thevideo has been misinterpreted.”
“It was not a complete video and I wanted to say to kill Modi politicallypeople will have to unite themselves. The video is being projected wronglyand is of my speech in Pawoi tehsil of Panna district some time ago.”
The Congress distanced itself from Pateriya’s remarks. “It’s his personalstatement. We will keep our party out of it. The Congress was born out ofnon-violence and it has lost Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi,Beant Singh to violence and terrorism. We do not support any type ofviolence, be it through statement or words,” state Congress spokesperson KKMishra said.
