Congress leader Raja Pateria detained over his ‘kill Modi’ remarks

Damoh: Congress leader and former minister Raja Pateria was on Tuesday detained by Panna Police from his residence, in connection with his alleged “kill Modi” remarks.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Monday afternoon at Pawai police station in Panna district against the Congress leader and former state minister for making remarks against the prime minister. Pateria has been booked under sections 451, 504, 505 (1)(b), 505 (1)(C), 506, 153-B (1)(C) of the IPC.

He was detained from his residence in Hatta of Damoh district early this morning.

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Monday ordered filing a FIR against the Congress leader.

On Sunday, Pateria the former Madhya Pradesh minister, purportedly made the controversial remarks at a meeting of Mandalam Sector presidents organized by the District Congress Committee at Powai Rest House.

In the video that went viral, Pateria could be heard saying that “PM Modi will “end elections, divide people on the basis of religion and Dalits face the biggest threat under his regime”. “You should be ready to carry out ‘Modi ki hatya’ if you want to save the Constitution…hatya (kill) in the sense of defeating him,” Pateria is heard saying.

Agitated over his statement, the BJP leaders demanded Pateria’s immediate arrest and also sought the strictest probe into the matter.

In the letter to DGP, the BJP leaders said: “A video in the matter has gone viral over social media and electronic media where a senior leader of Congress was seen appealing to kill the Prime Minister in an open address in a village of Panna. Such an appeal to kill the Prime Minister shows that there is a serious challenge to national security, and a conspiracy to spread anarchy and cause a riot in Madhya Pradesh.”

“This seems to be an attempt to hatch a conspiracy to kill PM Modi and encourage Naxalism in the state,” the letter read further.

Pateria in a clarification video said, “I am a follower of Gandhi ji and Gandhi’s followers can not talk about murder. The video has been misinterpreted.”

“I meant to say that it is necessary to defeat him to save this country’s Constitution, to protect minorities, Dalits, and tribal and to remove unemployment. My intention about the murder has been misrepresented,” Pateria added.