Congress leader Charan Das Mahant booked for ‘contentious remarks against PM Modi

A legal case has been filed against Charan Das Mahant, the Leader of Opposition for the Chhattisgarh Congress, for his contentious remarks directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public rally. The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged under Section 506 (pertaining to criminal intimidation) at Kotwali Police Station in Rajnandgaon city, following orders from the District Election Officer. Mahant, a prominent campaigner for the party, ignited controversy during a rally in Rajnandgaon by expressing the need for someone capable of confronting PM Modi with a stick. Addressing the crowd in the local dialect, he advocated for the success of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, portraying him as a defender of women and farmers, and endorsing his candidacy for the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat. His statements triggered backlash, prompting a swift reaction from the ruling BJP.

Sudhanshu Trivedi, a BJP Member of Parliament and national spokesperson, criticized the Congress for Mahant’s remarks against PM Modi, attributing it to the Congress’s “deteriorating mental state” in response to the growing public support for Modi. Trivedi emphasized the use of derogatory language by the Congress against PM Modi and questioned their claim of being heirs to the Gandhian tradition. He highlighted Mahant’s deliberate choice of words and suggested a pattern dating back to the 2014 elections.

The parliamentary elections in Chhattisgarh’s 11 constituencies are scheduled in three phases on April 19, 26, and May 7, with vote counting set for June 4. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 9 seats, maintaining a stronghold in the state, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed only 2 seats. In the previous 2014 elections, the BJP won 10 seats, leaving the INC with just one seat.