Rahul Gandhi often encourages violence against PM Modi: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday accused Rahul Gandhi of encouraging violence against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it targeted the Leader of Opposition following the assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump.

These are insincere words, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said of Gandhi's condemnation of the attack on Trump.

He said on X, "Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi has often encouraged and justified violence against Prime Minister Modi, who he has lost election to, several times now. How can India ever forget how Punjab Police, then under the Congress, deliberately compromised PM's security, when his convoy was left stranded on a flyover."

Malviya, who posted some past comments of the Congress leader, added that Gandhi has used similar rhetoric against Modi, such as calling him a "dictator", that Trump's critics like Democrat leader and US President Joe Biden have.

Following the assassination attempt, many of Trump's supporters have alleged that his demonisation by his rivals has created an atmosphere of hate against him.

Malviya said Trump's critics have made the argument that democracy is in danger from him, and likened this to India's opposition's "Constitution is in danger" pitch against Modi.

Indian democracy survived the global Left's assault and Modi is back for a third term, Malviya said.

He said, "Caste, like race in America, was weaponised to drive a wedge in Indian society. Demonising opponents and calling them dictator is also not a coincidence. In fact, the global money bag, with dangerous ideas, used the term for the first time to describe democratically elected powerful world leaders, who he couldn't control."

But Gandhi, who sought foreign intervention in India's elections, failed to deliver, he alleged.