Nitin Gadkari planning to kill PM Narendra Modi, Shehla Rashid posts 'sarcastic' tweet; minister to sue her

NEW DELHI: Student rights activist at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Shehla Rashid, on Saturday stoked a row by claiming that the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are planning to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Irked by the accusation, Gadkari threatened legal action against the student rights activist

In a tweet on Saturday, she said: "Looks like RSS/Gadkari is planning to assassinate Modi, and then blame it upon Muslims/Communists and then lynch Muslims #RajivGandhiStyle." 

Looks like RSS/Gadkari is planning to assassinate Modi, and then blame it upon Muslims/Communists and then lynch Muslims #RajivGandhiStyle — Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) June 9, 2018

Taking note of the 'bizarre comments', Garkari replied: I would be taking legal action on anti-social elements who have made bizarre comments; attributing personal motives to me, regarding the assassination threat to PM @narendramodi."

However, soon after, Rashid claimed that she was sarcastic when she tweeted about the plot. "Leader of world's biggest party gets worked up about a sarcastic tweet. Imagine what an innocent student @UmarKhalidJNU must be going through after a baseless media assault on him & his father," she said.

Leader of world's biggest party gets worked up about a sarcastic tweet. Imagine what an innocent student @UmarKhalidJNU must be going through after a baseless media assault on him & his father by Times Now.

Mr. Gadkari, will you also take action against Rahul Shivshankar? https://t.co/tNDZLrqOKV — Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) June 9, 2018

Shehla tweeted about the assassination plot amid reports that Pune Police has found a purported letter of Maoist leaders in which they are allegedly discussing plans to assassinate PM Narendra Modi in a 'Rajiv Gandhi type incident' during one of his political road shows. The purported letter, is addressed to a Maoist leader named Prakash and is signed 'R'. It is dated April 18, 2017.

The rationale for alleged assassination plot in the letter is to 'end Modi-raj' because of the electoral victories of the BJP and its allies in Assembly elections. 

The purported plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been met with scepticism from leaders of the opposition parties. While Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam alleged that the plot could be fake, CPM chief Sitaram Yechury expressed confidence that the PM would receive adequate security cover.

The reactions came to the Pune Police's release of a letter that it claimed was an intercept of communication between two Maoist leaders. The letter shows the Maoist leaders discussing the merits of ending 'Modi-raj' by carrying out a 'Rajiv Gandhi type incident', meaning assassination.

Soon after the letter was released by the Pune Police, Congress leader Nirupam called it an old tactic to be back in news. "I am not saying this is completely untrue but it has been PM Modi's old tactic, since he was Chief Minister. Whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted," Nirupam alleged.