Kerala Assembly witnesses protest over death threat remark against Rahul Gandhi, House adjourned
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Assembly was adjourned for the day on Tuesday following an intense protest by opposition members over the denial of permission to raise the alleged death threat remark by a BJP leader against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress-led UDF gave a notice for the adjournment motion demanding a discussion on the matter after halting other businesses.
However, Speaker A N Shamseer denied permission to KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, saying that the issue had no immediate relevance or significance to present as an adjournment motion.
He also said Joseph could raise the matter as the first submission instead of an adjournment motion.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan questioned the Speaker's statements and sought to know how the remarks of a BJP leader during a television debate that bullets would be fired at the Opposition Leader of Lok Sabha could be viewed as irrelevant.
He said the opposition registers strong protest against the Speaker's remarks that the "matter is not serious".
Satheesan further said a case was registered against the accused BJP leader only on Monday, days after he made the death threat during a debate in a Malayalam news channel.
"This government is trying to protect that person. We have strong objection to that," he said.
Intervening, the Speaker said he also respects Rahul Gandhi. "But, this particular matter has no relevance to be raised on the floor of the House," he reiterated, adding that remarks made by someone during a television debate could not be raised in the House.
Irked over his remarks, the UDF members, raising strong protest, tried to move towards the Speaker's podium. The watch-and-ward personnel prevented them from proceeding further.
Ignoring the protest, the Speaker took up the Calling Attention motion and other businesses of the day.
While replying to a Calling Attention, Law Minister P Rajeev took a dig at the protesting Congress MLAs and said they had no love for Rahul Gandhi, otherwise they would have brought the matter in the House much before.
With protests intensifying, Speaker Shamseer said the House was adjourned for the day and would resume on October 6.
The opposition protest in the Assembly came a day after police registered a case against BJP leader Printu Mahadevan for his alleged remark during a television debate on September 26 that bullets would be fired at Rahul Gandhi.
The case was filed by the Peramangalam police based on a complaint from Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) secretary Sreekumar C C.
Mahadevan, reportedly a former ABVP leader, made the remarks while discussing protests in Bangladesh and Nepal.
He reportedly said that such protests were not possible in India as people here stood strongly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and added that if Rahul Gandhi has any such desires, "bullets will pierce his chest."
The FIR cites provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), Section 353 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BJP to resolve decades-old Gorkha issue within 6 months of forming govt in Bengal: Shah
Kurseong (WB) (PTI): Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the politically crucial hill electorate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday promised that the BJP would resolve the decades-old Gorkha issue within six months if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal.
He said no party other than the BJP could find a solution acceptable to the Gorkhas.
Addressing a rally at Kurseong in Darjeeling district, Shah said the BJP understands the concerns and aspirations of the Gorkhas and would work towards a settlement on their terms.
"Within six months of the BJP forming the government in West Bengal, every Gorkha will have a smile on his face. We will find such a solution to the Gorkha issue that Gorkhas can live in peace," he said.
The Gorkha issue refers to the century-old demand for a separate state in the Gorkha-majority hill districts of north Bengal, although Shah did not utter the words 'Gorkhaland' or 'statehood' in his speech.
Instead, echoing the BJP's long-standing promise of a "permanent political solution" to the hill question, Shah said the issue would be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the Gorkhas.
ALSO READ: APCR fact-finding team reports gaps between records, public narrative in Nashik TCS case
"I am leaving today after promising you that as soon as the BJP government is formed, the decades-old Gorkha issue will be resolved according to the Gorkhas' terms," he said.
The BJP, which has won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in every election since 2009, has consistently promised a permanent political solution to the hill issue without committing itself to a separate state.
The home minister accused the Mamata Banerjee government of refusing to engage with efforts to resolve the issue and said that after becoming home minister, he had convened three meetings on the matter.
"After becoming home minister, I convened three major meetings to resolve the Gorkha issue, but not even once did a representative from Mamata's side attend," Shah said.
"Mamata Didi, we are not dependent on you for a solution to the Gorkha issue. We have appointed an interlocutor who is preparing a report by engaging with Gorkha organisations here and officials of the West Bengal government," he added.
Claiming that the BJP alone understands the concerns of the hill residents, Shah said, "We understand you and your problems. No one except the BJP can resolve the Gorkha issue."
The home minister alleged that the Congress and the TMC had betrayed the people of the hills for decades.
"The Congress and the TMC have done injustice not only to Darjeeling but also to our patriotic Gorkha brothers," he said.
Seeking to broaden the BJP's pitch beyond the Gorkha issue, Shah sought to portray the election as a battle to free north Bengal and the hills from what he called years of neglect and injustice under the TMC rule.
"This election is to free the entire West Bengal from TMC's crimes. In a way, it is an election to gain freedom from the injustice happening for decades in north Bengal and Darjeeling," he said.
Referring to the Sandeshkhali controversy, Shah said, "The whole of West Bengal has decided that it is time for Didi to step down. This election is about protecting our sisters across the state. The Sandeshkhali incident has brought shame to the state."
The BJP leader told the gathering that while Darjeeling had repeatedly backed the BJP, the party needed support from the rest of West Bengal this time.
"For three elections, Darjeeling has been voting for the BJP anyway, but the rest of West Bengal did not provide as much support. But this time, the whole of West Bengal has made up its mind that it's time to oust Didi," he said.
Shah also raised the issue of Gorkhas' names being allegedly deleted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
"The names of some Gorkhas were deleted during SIR. Once the BJP government is formed in West Bengal, all such names will be included in the electoral rolls again," he said.
He further alleged that hundreds of false cases had been slapped on Gorkha activists and promised that these would be withdrawn if the BJP formed the government.
"They have filed hundreds of false cases against our Gorkha brothers and sisters. The results will come out on May 4, and a BJP government will be formed on May 5. Before July 31, the BJP government in West Bengal will withdraw all cases against Gorkha brothers and sisters," Shah said.
The home minister also attacked the Mamata Banerjee government over budgetary allocations for the tribals.
"For tribal development, for Adivasis, for the hills, and for north Bengal, the Mamata government's total budget is Rs 2,000 crore. But for Muslims and madrasas, the Mamata government's budget is Rs 5,800 crore. This injustice will not last much longer," he said.
The demand for Gorkhaland and greater political autonomy for the Darjeeling hills has remained one of the most enduring and emotive political issues in north Bengal, often shaping electoral outcomes in the region.
Successive agitations -- from the Subhash Ghising-led GNLF movement in the 1980s to the later stir spearheaded by Bimal Gurung and the GJM, have repeatedly convulsed the hills.
Yet, despite the BJP's rise in Darjeeling and its continued dominance in the Lok Sabha seat since 2009, the party has so far stopped short of endorsing a separate state as it would have an adverse impact on south Bengal, preferring instead to speak of a "permanent political solution".
