Normalising violence against political opponents dangerous, says Nagaland Congress

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Tuesday expressed concern over a recent death threat issued against the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, during a televised debate.

In a press statement, the NPCC described the threat, made by a BJP spokesperson from Kerala, as “unacceptable in a democracy” and called it a deliberate provocation that reflects a worrying trend of normalising threats and violence against political opponents.

The NPCC said such threats cannot be dismissed as casual or emotional rhetoric and demanded immediate action from the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, against the individual responsible. It added that failure to act decisively would signal complicity on the part of authorities and could embolden similar acts in the future.

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Citing the assassinations of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the NPCC said India has experienced the devastating consequences of political violence and warned that threats against public leaders must be treated with “utmost seriousness and urgency.”

The party reaffirmed that political differences must be addressed through dialogue, debate, and democratic means. It described the death threat as “nothing short of an attack on India’s democracy” and urged the central government to bring the offender to justice and set a strong precedent against such behaviour.

The NPCC also called on all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, to condemn the threat and uphold democratic traditions, while urging swift and firm action to prevent further escalation of political hostility.