The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back after a purported video of ex-BSF soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav threatening Prime minister Narendra Modi surfaced on social media. In the video, the Samajwadi Party candidate is seen claiming that he was willing to kill PM Modi for Rs 50 crore.
BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao, while speaking on the issue, said, “Stunned by statements of Tej Bahadur Yadav. He was drafted by SP from Varanasi, his candidature has been nullified for various reasons. We can see on TV how he’s telling a group that he’s willing to hatch a plot to assassinate PM Modi for Rs 50 crore”.
“Parties like Congress rallied behind such anti-social forces rather than the government is a matter of concern. The fact that he was sought to be drafted as a candidate by Samajwadi Party, it really stuns us. We condemn it, we expect all agencies to take note of this threat”, Rao said as per news agency ANI.
Samajwadi Party had recently fielded Tej Bahadur Yadav from Varanasi to take on PM Modi. Yadav’s candidature was nullified by the Elections Commission. The EC rejected his nomination as he he was unable to submit a certificate saying that he hadn’t been sacked for either corruption or disloyalty.
Yadav then filed a plea in the Supreme Court terming the poll panel’s decision as discriminatory and unreasonable. He urged the top court to overrule the decision and allow him to contest the elections.
Yadav was dismissed from BSF in 2017 after he posted a video on social media complaining about the quality of food served to the troops.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi uses ‘boxer’ analogy to target Modi, says ’56-inch PM’ knocked Advani out
While five of the seven-phase elections are now over, the sixth and seven phases of Lok Sabha elections will be held on May 13 and May 19 respectively with results to be announced on May 23. Varanasi will go on polls is the seventh phase on May 19.