New Delhi: Indira and Rajiv Gandhi were assassinated “for the political decisions they took”, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party suggested Monday, in what appeared to be an attempt to blame the former prime ministers for the tragedies they met.
This suggestion from BJP leader and incharge of party national IT department Amit Malviya came in the context of the assassination attempt on the presumptive Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“Before the Congress claims that their own leaders have got assassinated, I want to remind them that they were assassinated for political decisions that they took,” Malviya said in a news debate on India Today to discuss the assassination attempt on Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“…Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s convoy was stoned on several occasions. There have been very unpopular incidents that have been with both Indira and Rajiv; we condemn that but the progeny of the Gandhis (read, Rahul Gandhi) today, actually wishing death and assault on Prime Minister Modi. His rhetoric is very similar to what we are seeing in the United States,” Malviya said, alleging that the Leader of the Opposition has been encouraging violence against the prime minister.
Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her bodyguards in 1984. Her son Rajiv was killed in a suicide bombing in 1991.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed Malviya’s statement as ‘atrocious’, ‘obnoxious’, and ‘disgraceful’. “What an atrocious, obnoxious and disgraceful statement by this man. If the self-anointed non-biological PM has any shred of decency he should sack this guy right away,” he wrote on social media platform ‘X’.
Chairman of Congress’s media and publicity department Pawan Khera, too, criticised the BJP leader’s statement.
“According to this BJP motormouth, Mahatma Gandhi, Indira, Rajiv ji, Sardar Beant Singh and the entire Congress leadership of Chhattisgarh deserved to be assassinated for the political decisions they took. Does the @PMOIndia endorse this view of his spokesperson? The only political decision these martyrs took was to live and die for India,” Khera posted on ‘X’.
“Buffoons of BJP will never understand that sentiment. Do we need more proof of the anti-national mindset of the BJP?”
ThePrint reached out to Malviya for his comment, but he was unavailable.
Trump was injured Saturday during his election rally when a shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue in Pennsylvania.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed concern over the attack on Trump, saying that violence has no place in politics and democracies.
“Deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump. Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery,” Modi posted on ‘X’.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people, he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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