Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday the issue of “extremely objectionable” and violent statements by ruling alliance members targeting Rahul Gandhi and urged him to discipline his leaders.

In his letter to Modi, Kharge asserted that strict legal action should be taken against those giving such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from degenerating and nothing untoward happens.

“I want to draw your attention to an issue which is directly related to democracy and the Constitution. You must be aware that a series of extremely objectionable, violent and rude statements are being made against the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi,” the Congress chief said.

“I have to say with sadness that the violent language used by the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and your allies is harmful for the future. The world is shocked that the Minister of State for Railways in the central government, a minister from BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, is calling the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha ‘number one terrorist’,” Kharge said in an apparent reference to the remarks by MoS Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and UP minister Raghuraj Singh.

“An MLA from a party that has ties with your government in Maharashtra is announcing a reward of Rs 11 lakh to the person who ‘cuts off the tongue of the Leader of the Opposition and brings it to him’. A BJP leader and former MLA in Delhi is threatening to make him ‘fate like his grandmother’,” Kharge said.

Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad announced that he will give Rs 11 lakh to anyone chopping off Gandhi’s tongue for his remarks on scrapping the reservation system. Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday said if those “manufacturing bombs” were supporting Gandhi, he is the “number one terrorist”. Minister in the BJP’s UP government Raghuraj Singh reportedly made similar remarks as that of Bittu.

Earlier, BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marvah had purportedly made “threatening” remarks against Gandhi.

In his letter to Modi in Hindi, Kharge said Indian culture is known throughout the world for non-violence, harmony and love.

“Our heroes established these as standards in politics. Gandhi ji had made these standards an important part of politics during the British rule itself. After independence, there has been a long history of respectful disagreements between the ruling party and the opposition in the parliamentary arena. This has worked to enhance the prestige of Indian democracy,” Kharge said.

He said crores of Congress workers and leaders are very agitated and worried about this matter.

“Due to such hate-mongering forces, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi had to sacrifice their lives. This political behaviour of the ruling party is an example of rudeness in democratic history,” Kharge said.

“I request and expect you to please impose discipline and decorum on your leaders. Instruct them to behave properly. Strict legal action should be taken for such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from degenerating. Nothing untoward happens,” the Congress chief said.

“I trust that you will take the required action to immediately stop these leaders from making violent statements,” Kharge added.

In the wake of several controversial statements by ruling alliance leaders targeting Rahul Gandhi, the Congress on Monday said “hate-filled minions” making such remarks were the “real terrorists” who belong in jail.

The opposition party alleged that “violent statements” were being made against the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha at the behest of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with their “complete political patronage”.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday resigned as the Delhi Chief Minister, making way for Atishi to take change of the top post.

Atishi was elected as the leader of AAP legislative party meeting which chaired by Kejriwal at his Delhi residence. Atishi is the third woman Chief Minister of Delhi after Sheila Dikshit and Sushma Swaraj.

“Today Arvind Kejriwal has submitted his resignation. This is an emotional moment for the party and the people of Delhi. At the same time, the people of Delhi are resolving to make Arvind Kejriwal the chief minister again…Till the elections are not held, I will be looking after Delhi,” she said.

ATISHI THANKS KEJRIWAL, CALLS HIM HER ‘GURU’

Upon being named Delhi’s new Chief Minister, Atishi today termed Kejriwal as her “guru” and thanked him for “having faith” in her.

“It can only happen in the Aam Aadmi Party, and under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, that I was made an MLA and then a minister and now the Chief Minister. I am happy that I have become the Chief Minister, but sad that my elder brother, Arvind Kejriwal, will be resigning from his post. There is just one Chief Minister of Delhi – Arvind Kejriwal,” Atishi said.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has conspired to create difficulties for Arvind Kejriwal,” she alleged.

“Arvind Kejriwal said that the decision of the Supreme Court (that he can continue being the Chief Minister) is not enough. He said that if only the people of Delhi reimpose faith in him, he will become the Chief Minister again,” Atishi said.

“The people of Delhi will today oath to make Arvind Kejriwal the Chief Minister, because he has given them a lot – free electricity, free water, free bus rides, and more, whereas the BJP, who is governing 22 states, has not given anything to the people,” she said.

WHEN KEJRIWAL ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION

On September 13, Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail, where he had been lodged for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy case. Nearly two days after his release, on Sunday, Kejriwal said he would resign as the Chief Minister within 48 hours.

He also sought early polls in Delhi, and vowed not to sit in the chief minister’s chair until people gave him a “certificate of honesty”.

On Monday, the AAP held a series of meetings as Kejriwal sought feedback from members of the political affairs committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, on his successor in one-on-one meetings at his official residence.

ATISHI’s POLITICAL CAREER

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Atishi was appointed the in-charge for East Delhi as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate. She lost to the BJP’s Gautam Gambhir by a margin of 4.77 lakh votes.

During the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, Atishi contested from the Kalkaji constituency of South Delhi. She defeated BJP candidate Dharambir Singh by 11,422 votes.

Later, she was inducted into the Delhi government as a Cabinet Minister, along with Saurabh Bharadwaj after the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyender Jain.

WHO WERE THE CM PROBABLES

Names of Delhi ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj were making the rounds as contenders, news agency PTI had quoted party insiders as saying and added that Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel were also the probables.

Mangolpuri MLA Rakhi Birla, who is also the deputy speaker in the assembly, and Kondli legislator Kuldeep Kumar were also potential candidates, they added.

Earlier, sources with the AAP had told PTI that the surprise candidate could also be a member of the minority community as the party has witnessed its support among the community wavering since the 2020 Delhi riots.