MP Congress leader Raja Pateria arrested over 'kill Modi' remark
The Madhya Pradesh Police arrested Congress leader and former state cabinet minister, Raja Pateria, from Damoh district early on Tuesday after an FIR was registered over his alleged remarks calling for the death of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan attacked the Congress, saying Pateria's comments have revealed the real face of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Why does this story matter?
Pateria faced backlash after a purported video showed him addressing a gathering, saying, "If you want to save the Constitution, be ready to kill Modi. By killing, I mean defeat." A major controversy erupted, with BJP leaders pulling up the grand old party and calling for strict action against Pateria. He tried to mitigate the damage saying his remarks were taken out of context.
BJP cornered Congress over constant verbal attacks on Modi
Congress distanced itself from Pateria's remark
Meanwhile, Congress distanced itself from Pateria's remark and condemned it. The aforementioned clip is reportedly from a neighborhood meeting at Panna district's Pawai. The FIR against Pateria was registered in Panna district on Monday on the instructions of MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who said this wasn't the Congress of Mahatma Gandhi. He said this was Italy's Congress with the mentality of Mussolini.
Pateria was arrested at dawn in Hatta, Damoh
Meant to say 'defeat Modi politically': Pateria
Pateria on Monday clarified his comments were misrepresented and that he meant that PM Modi should be defeated in elections to save the Constitution and the rights of the oppressed. He said defeating Modi would ease inflation and unemployment. Pateria—a former cabinet minister in the Digvijaya Singh government from 1998-2003—was arrested from his residence in Hatta of Damoh district at 5:30 am on Tuesday.
