Congress did protest Rahul death threat, CPI(M) ministers 'mistaken': LoP Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 1 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan, on Wednesday claimed that CPI(M) ministers P Rajeev and M B Rajesh "were mistaken" when they said in the House that Congress did not protest or lodge complaints about the death threat to Rahul Gandhi by a BJP leader.

Satheesan, speaking at a press conference held at his official residence here, said that the threat by the BJP leader, Printu Mahadevan, was made on a news channel on September 26.

In the next two days, several complaints were made to different police stations in the state by Congress leaders.

"We even held protests on September 27, and I participated in one of them. We thought the government would ensure that a case was registered. When no FIR was lodged by noon on September 29, we raised the issue in the House," the opposition leader said.

"It was only after the FIR was registered on the evening of September 29 that the ministers were incorrect when they said we did not protest or lodge a complaint," he added.

He also said that Rajeev probably did not realise that September 27 and 28 were Saturday and Sunday, respectively, when the minister questioned why Congress did not raise the issue in the House the very next day after the incident.

Satheesan added that Rajesh told the House a complaint was received only on September 29, which was also incorrect.

"I urge both ministers to withdraw their respective incorrect statements," he said.

He also questioned how Speaker A N Shamseer could term "the death threat" to Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as a minor issue when the opposition UDF tried to raise the matter as an adjournment motion in the House.

After the House was adjourned on Tuesday due to the opposition's protest, UDF MLAs told reporters outside the assembly that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should clarify whether the remark that Rahul Gandhi "would be shot in the chest was a trivial matter." They also alleged that the government was "shielding" the BJP leader out of fear of the party and termed it "the latest proof of the unholy alliance between the BJP and CPI(M) in Kerala." Subsequently, the state BJP leadership accused the Congress-UDF of "launching unnecessary propaganda" against the party over the issue.

Mahadevan, reportedly a former ABVP leader, allegedly made the remarks during a television debate on protests in Bangladesh and Nepal.

On Tuesday evening, he, along with some party workers, appeared before the police, and his arrest was formally recorded. He was then produced before a court, which granted him bail. PTI HMP SSK