‘Chop Off…’: Shiv Sena MLA Offers Rs 11 Lakh Reward Over Rahul Gandhi’s Reservation Remarks

Sanjay Gaikwad, an MLA from Maharashtra Chief Minister-led Shiv Sena, has ignited a fresh controversy by announcing a reward of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who will "chop off the tongue" of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

This extreme statement comes in response to Gandhi's recent comments about reservation during his trip to the United States.

Gaikwad accused Gandhi of wanting to end reservation for backward tribals and other groups, stating, "When the demands of reservation are rising in Maharashtra and the country, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a statement to end reservation in the country."

He further alleged that Gandhi had spread false narratives during the Lok Sabha elections to garner votes.

RAHUL GANDHI'S 'RESERVATION' COMMENT SPARKS UPROAR

Rahul Gandhi's statement in the US has resulted into a heated war of words. In the United States, the leader of opposition stated that the Congress party will "think of ending reservation when India is a fair place" and expressed his disinterest in living in a country "where 90 per cent of the people do not have access to opportunity."

This is not the first time Gaikwad has courted controversy. In February, he claimed to have hunted a tiger in 1987 and wore its tooth as an accessory, leading to him being booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.

In March, a video of him assaulting a group of men with a policeman's baton went viral, which he admitted to, citing unruly behavior from the men. More recently, a video surfaced showing a policeman washing Gaikwad's car, drawing criticism from many who deemed it disgraceful.

POLITICS AMID UPROAR: CAN MAHAYUTI OUTGUN MVA?

The Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra is leveraging Rahul Gandhi's US remarks about "ending reservation when India is a fair place" to counter its 'anti-Dalit' image, which contributed to its poor performance in recent Lok Sabha elections.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi had previously campaigned that BJP planned to change the Constitution if it secured 400 seats.

With Maharashtra Assembly elections approaching in November, BJP & Shiv Sena Led by Ekhnath Shinde seeks to regain trust among Dalits and tribals, who currently benefit from 20% of the state's 52% reservation quota. An additional 10% is reserved for the economically weaker section (EWS) category.