Rahul Gandhi Darbhanga rally row: 1 held for abusive remarks against PM Modi, mother; hunt on for others

DARBHANGA/PATNA: Police on Friday arrested Rizwi Raja in connection with a case lodged at Simri police station after objectionable remarks were made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother from a stage set up by local Congress leader Mohammad Naushad at Atharwel Vithauli Chowk. The incident occurred on Wednesday during Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ when Naushad had assembled supporters in Darbhanga to welcome the Congress leader. Naushad, however, claimed he had already left the venue along with Gandhi’s convoy when the abuses were hurled. Police said they are hunting for others seen in the viral video raising slogans from the stage.

The controversy had snowballed on Thursday, with the BJP-led NDA accusing Rahul Gandhi of allowing his party leaders to use “extremely indecent and disrespectful language” against the PM and his late mother. BJP functionaries Danish Eqbal and Krishna Singh Kallu filed complaints against Rahul at Kotwali and Gandhi Maidan police stations in Patna, while BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest rally. “We will not allow Rahul’s proposed padyatra in Patna on September 1 to conclude,” Kallu warned. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary called it a “shameful day for democracy”, while Jale MLA and minister Jibesh Kumar alleged, “Since Rahul himself uses ‘tu-tadak’ language for the PM, what else can be expected from his party workers? This is Congress culture.”

NDA allies also joined in. JD(U) spokesperson Arvind Nishad said, “The remarks were an insult not only to the PM but to the entire country and democracy. Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav should apologise.” HAM(S) chief Santosh Suman said the opposition was resorting to “indecent language out of frustration”. BJP president J P Nadda, in a video message, accused Congress and RJD of having “crossed all limits of indecency and humiliated the rich culture of Bihar.”

Congress sought to draw a line between itself and the row. State spokesman Asit Nath Tiwary said, “Many unknown people were also present in the crowd that climbed the stage. Some of them used abusive language. Congress does not support it and strongly criticises such acts.” The Bihar State Women Commission has also sought strict action against those responsible.