Will kill Narendra Modi, Congress candidate Imran Masood said in hate speech

Mangalore Today News Network

Saharanpur,UP, Mar 28, 2014: On camera, a politician in Uttar Pradesh running for Parliament from the Congress, declares that he will "chop Narendra Modi into pieces."

Imran Masood, 40, who is contesting from Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh, now faces criminal charges for that hate speech against the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate.

Mr Masood has now apologized, stating, "I admit I have made a mistake, such things should not be said during elections."

The controversy has erupted ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Saharanpur on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Mr Masood was heard saying, "I am a man of the street, ready to give my life for my people. I am neither afraid of death or of killing. He thinks this is Gujarat. There are only 4% Muslims in Gujarat. There are 42% Muslims here."

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley slammed not just the candidate but also his party, saying this was a part of the mindset that believed "abusing Modi is an expression of aggressive secularism."

Referring to Sonia Gandhi’s "Maut Ka Saudagar (merchant of death)" barb in 2007 against Mr Modi, the BJP leader said Mr Masood’s remarks followed a pattern of unacceptable attacks the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Mr Modi, 64, is contesting his first parliamentary election from Varanasi, 800 km away in India’s largest and most politically vital state. In his speech earlier this week, Mr Masood warned the BJP leader against "turning Uttar Pradesh into Gujarat." 

Mr Modi is being forecast by opinion polls as the front-runner for the country’s top job.  His detractors accuse him of being a divisive leader because in 2002, communal riots tore through Gujarat, leaving hundreds of Muslims dead. A Supreme Court inquiry has said there is no evidence of Mr Modi’s alleged collusion in the violence; a local court upheld that report recently. (Gujarat court accepts clean chit to Narendra Modi in 2002 riots)

The Congress has condemned its candidate’s remarks. "Using such words to instigate people is not right," said Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar.