BJP Lodges Complaint With Election Commission Against Rahul Gandhi's 'Pickpocket' And 'Panauti' Remarks on PM Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken its concerns to the Election Commission, protesting against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent comments branding Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'pickpocket' and 'panauti' (bad omen).

Gandhi, during a rally in Rajasthan, attributed India's World Cup cricket final loss to Prime Minister Modi's presence, stating, "Our boys were going to win the world cup, but Panauti made them lose."

The BJP delegation, including General Secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, called for action against Gandhi for what they deemed as unacceptable language and character assassination against the Prime Minister.

In a separate rally, Gandhi remarked, “The pickpocket never comes alone, there are three people. One comes from the front, one from the back and the third from the distance.”

The BJP's complaint emphasised that such comparisons and name-calling reflect a decline in political discourse and urged the Election Commission to take necessary action.

The party also sought repercussions for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of falsely claiming that Prime Minister Modi’s caste was included in Gujarat’s other backward classes (OBC) list during his tenure as the state's chief minister.

The BJP asserted that these statements, constituting a pattern of spreading misinformation, warrant criminal proceedings and strict action against the offenders.