Book BJP leader for comparing Rahul with Khilji: Mumbai Congress

Mumbai, Dec 8 : Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam on Friday demanded criminal proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao for comparing Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with the 13th century plunderer-ruler Alauddin Khilji.

Dashing off a strong letter to the head of Versova Police Station on Friday, Nirupam said, on December 6, Rao alleged the Congress President-elect is "a kin of Khilji" on his verified Twitter account.

"The leader (Rao) has deliberately and maliciously tried to draw a defamatory connect between Delhi ruler Alauddin Khilji's plunder of our ancient sacred Somnath Temple and Rahul (Gandhi)," Nirupam said in the complaint.

He said that such a spiteful comment in the public domain, which does not have an iota of truth "is tantamount to not just being libellous but simply criminal in nature".

In fact, the Congress leader pointed out, the comment is "inflammatory" and apparently made with the intent of "creating hatred and enmity among people".

Terming it as a clear breach of the law, Nirupam urged the police to take stringent action against Rao and the BJP for his tweet, and ensure the offending tweet is deleted immediately by Rao.

Nirupam's demand against the BJP came a day after senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's purported derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi created a furore and he was suspended by the party.