Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad (from the Shinde faction) has sparked a major controversy with his recent statement, offering ₹11 lakh to anyone who chops off Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s tongue. Gaikwad’s outburst comes in response to Gandhi’s recent comments regarding the reservation system in India, which the MLA claims are aimed at ending reservations for tribals and socially backward classes.
Gaikwad, the MLA from Buldhana, accused Rahul Gandhi of advocating for the removal of the reservation system at a time when demands for reservations are increasing in Maharashtra and across the country. “When the demands for reservation are rising in Maharashtra and the country, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a statement to end reservation in the country,” Gaikwad was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. He further challenged, “Whoever chops off Rahul Gandhi’s tongue will be given a reward of Rs 11 lakh on my behalf.”
This is not the first time Gaikwad has courted controversy. He was previously in the news for an incident involving a policeman washing his car and for claiming to have hunted a tiger in 1987, leading to charges under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The controversy stems from Rahul Gandhi’s remarks made during his recent visit to the United States. During an interaction with students at Georgetown University, Gandhi suggested that the idea of scrapping reservations could only be considered when “India is a fair place,” indicating that the current conditions do not warrant such a change.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized Gandhi’s statements, interpreting them as an attack on the reservation system. Several BJP leaders, including Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, have condemned Gandhi’s views on the issue.
