'No action by Kerala govt, police against person who threatened Rahul Gandhi'

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, has criticised the state government and police for not acting against a former ABVP leader who allegedly gave a threat to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a television panel discussion.

Satheesan was responding to reporters’ queries on remarks made by Printu Mahadev, former state president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), an RSS-affiliated student organisation.

Referring to Mahadev as a "follower of Nathuram Godse", the Congress leader said it was “shocking” that neither the government nor the police had taken action on the alleged threat.

“That is because they (the state government) have an agreement with the BJP,” he alleged.

Satheesan said Gandhi would not be intimidated by such remarks, as he had grown up witnessing the assassinations of his father and grandmother.

“They want to end Rahul Gandhi. The democratic people of India will not permit that. He does not surrender before anyone, as he is fighting against communalism and fascism. You cannot scare him,” Satheesan said.

Speaking along similar lines, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala condemned Mahadev’s public death threat to Rahul Gandhi and demanded that a case be lodged against him immediately.

He contended that the lack of action on the part of the government indicated an “unholy alliance” between the CPI(M) and the BJP.

Mahadev, while representing the BJP in a television debate, had allegedly remarked that Rahul Gandhi "will be shot in the chest".