Zee Media Bureau
Ghaziabad: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday condemned the remarks made by party candidate from Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency in UP, Imran Masood, against BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Addressing a rally here, Gandhi said that Congress does not endorse the language used by Masood, who was arrested earlier in the day and sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
“We talk about love, not hatred,” Gandhi said, before moving towards Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency, where is scheduled to address a rally despite the arrest of Masood.
Earlier in the day, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader of Uttar Pradesh, Pradeep Mathur, had said that Rahul Gandhi`s rally is being postponed. “The next date for it will be decided later on," Mathur had added.
The news had come after Masood was arrested by police for allegedly threatening to chop BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate Modi "into pieces".
A court has rejected the bail plea of Masood and sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
Masood was, earlier today, arrested for his hate speech which had sparked an outrage in political circles.
Masood, 40, who was arrested by police from his residence in Saharanpur, said he had done no wrong.
"It is all BJP`s plotting. I don`t have any remorse as I did no wrong. I will not apologise either to Narendra Modi or to the BJP," the Congress leader, who had yesterday expressed regret for his remarks, told reporters.
The Congress leader was produced before the Deoband court amidst heavy security as his supporters created chaos outside the court.
A video footage of the election rally in Saharanpur, showing Masood attacking the BJP`s prime ministerial candidate, had gone viral on the web.
The Congress candidate was seen in the video as saying: "If Modi tries to make Uttar Pradesh into Gujarat, then we will chop him into tiny pieces...I am not scared of getting killed or attacking someone. I will fight against Modi. He thinks UP is Gujarat. Only 4 percent Muslims are there in Gujarat while there are 42 percent Muslims in UP."
Congress had distanced itself from Masood`s remark, saying it abjures violence whether of language or otherwise while BJP condemned it as inflammatory and dragged Congress president Sonia Gandhi into the controversy. The BJP also demanded strict action against Masood by the Election Commission.
(With PTI inputs)
