New Delhi, February 25 – In response to the recent, controversial naked protest by Congress youth workers at the prestigious AI Impact Summit, a Congress leader on Wednesday defended the protest at Bharat Mandapam and also issued a direct challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop them.
This prompted a strong reaction from the BJP, which criticized the Congress leader's abusive language and also condemned the party for repeatedly denigrating and insulting the Prime Minister.
Congress leader Brinder Singh Dhillon, along with a group of party workers and volunteers, apparently angered by the punitive action against IYC members for removing their clothes and shouting slogans against the Prime Minister, appealed to fellow party members to escalate the protest against the government's attempts to silence them.
"Tell Modi... To hell with you. We will see you from the front. If you have the guts, make us frighten. People from Punjab have started coming out," said a Punjab Congress leader, going over the top in criticizing the Modi government and also issuing a direct challenge.
He also urged party members not to be intimidated or threatened by arrests and said they should be prepared to fill the jails, but must never succumb to the government's "pressure tactics".
The BJP quickly condemned the Congress leader for justifying the naked protest at the AI Expo, accusing the Congress leader of damaging India's global standing at an international forum.
"While the 'tukde tukde' Congress cries when their 'babbar sher' are sent to jail, many other leaders are openly declaring, repeating the anti-India Act!" said BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
Shehzad Poonawala criticized the Congress leader for abusive remarks against the Prime Minister, stating that this was akin to an open death threat to the Prime Minister.
"This is an open death threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and such abusive language shows the party's mindset. This is not an isolated incident; Prime Minister Modi has been called names multiple times, his OBC background has been ridiculed, and his family members have been repeatedly humiliated with derogatory language," he said, recalling the latest instance of abusive language against Prime Minister Modi's mother during the recent Bihar elections.
