Kerala BJP leader booked for threatening remark on Rahul Gandhi

A Kerala BJP leader has been booked for his alleged remark during a television debate that Rahul Gandhi would be shot at if he had any desires for Nepal-like Gen Z protests in India. The case was filed against Printu Mahadevan, a former ABVP leader, based on a complaint by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) secretary Sreekumar C C to the Peramangalam police.

Remark during TV discussion

Mahadevan made the remarks during a Malayalam news channel on September 26 during a discussion on the recent protests in Bangladesh and Nepal that led to regime changes in both countries.

The Kerala BJP leader reportedly said that such protests were not possible in India as people here stood strongly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding 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).

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Congress warns Centre

Following the remarks, Congress workers held a state-wide protest against Mahadevan and the BJP across Kerala on Monday (September 29).

Writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the issue, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Sunday stated that any failure on the part of the government to act decisively on the issue would be seen as complicity.

Calling the threat "not just a careless outburst of a petty functionary,” Venugopal stated, "The nation demands immediate, exemplary legal action through the state police so that justice is swift, visible, and severe.”

Senior Congress leaders, including MP Shafi Parambil and Ramesh Chennithala, also condemned Mahadevan’s remarks and urged police action.

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BJP’s ‘Gen Z’ dig at Rahul

Earlier, senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis scoffed at Rahul regarding the involvement of Generation Z in India's political and social landscape. Fadnavis asserted that Gandhi is largely irrelevant to the youth, stating, "India's Gen Z is involved in the start-up ecosystem, engineers in AI...They are in Silicon Valley."

He emphasised that the youth of today possess a unique mindset and criticised those who draw parallels between India's situation and recent events in Nepal, suggesting that such comparisons are misguided.

Fadnavis' comments were made in response to Gandhi's concerns about youth engagement, which he expressed through a post on X (formerly Twitter).

(With agency inputs)