The BRICS Times“From abuses to bullets, the BJP wants to silence Rahul Gandhi,” KC Venugopal alleges in letter shared by Congress
Congress Raises Alarm Over ‘Bullet’ Comment
A former ABVP leader in Kerala, Printu Mahadev, sparked a major controversy during a TV debate after claiming that Rahul Gandhi would face “a bullet in the chest” if he ever imagined staging a Bangladesh-style or Gen-Z protest in India. The Congress party reacted sharply, calling it a direct “death threat” and blaming the ruling BJP for encouraging such remarks.
Letter Sent to Amit Shah
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding “immediate and exemplary” legal action. In his strongly worded letter, Venugopal said, “First you tried to silence Rahul Gandhi with abuses and now you are threatening him with bullets.” The letter, posted by the official Congress handle, was widely shared by other party leaders.
Who Made the Statement
The remark came from Printu Mahadev during a News18 Kerala debate, where he was presenting the BJP’s stance. Mahadev is a former president of ABVP, the student wing of the RSS, but it remains unclear if he currently holds an official spokesperson role for the BJP.
‘Complicity If No Action Taken’
Venugopal warned that ignoring such comments would be seen as complicity by the government. “Failure to act against BJP spokesperson Printu Mahadev will amount to normalising violence and a serious breach of your oath as home minister,” he wrote to Amit Shah.
Past Tragedies Make Threats Serious
The Congress also reminded that Rahul Gandhi lost both his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and father, Rajiv Gandhi—both former Prime Ministers—to assassinations. “In such circumstances, threats of this kind are even more grave,” noted senior leader Kumari Selja on X.
‘Cold-Blooded Threat’ Not Hyperbole
Calling the statement deliberate, Venugopal wrote, “In a brazen act of incitement of violence, Mr Mahadev openly declared that ‘Rahul Gandhi will be shot in the chest.’ This is not a slip of the tongue, it is a calculated and chilling death threat.” He urged authorities to ensure justice that is “swift, visible, and severe.”
Kerala Politics Reacts Strongly
In Kerala, where Congress serves as the main opposition and the Left rules the state, the remarks caused an uproar. VD Satheesan, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, hit out at the government and police for not taking action. Calling Mahadev a “follower of Nathuram Godse,” he alleged that the Left government had an “understanding with the BJP.”
Rahul Gandhi’s Kerala Link
Rahul Gandhi was a Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad between 2019 and 2024 before resigning after his re-election in 2024. He chose to retain Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, now represents Wayanad in Parliament.
Akshay Didwaniya
