A young man from Rajasthan has been arrested for threatening to shoot and kill Indian Lok Sabha opposition leader **** at his residence. The arrest took place on Thursday in **** following a viral video in which the individual issued the threat.
The accused, identified as Raj Singh, reportedly claimed that his actions were a response to what he perceived as disrespect towards ****, the Lok Sabha Speaker and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader elected from Kota. In the video, Raj Singh expressed anger over an incident in Parliament’s budget session, where 25 opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, allegedly showed disrespect to the Speaker. Singh stated he would enter Gandhi’s residence and shoot him if apologies were not made.
Context of the Parliamentary Dispute
The controversy traces back to a confrontation during the Lok Sabha budget session:
Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, criticised the government’s handling of the 2020 India–China border clash in Ladakh.
Gandhi quoted from a book by former Army Chief ****, which the ruling side opposed.
A no-confidence motion was filed against Speaker Om Birla, who refused to preside until the issue was resolved.
BJP later filed a proposal seeking Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification over the incident.
The table below summarises the key points of the parliamentary dispute:
| Date | Location | Key Actors | Incident Summary | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Lok Sabha | Rahul Gandhi, Om Birla, 25 MPs | Gandhi quotes General Naravane’s book about India-China clash | Parliament proceedings disrupted |
| 2020 | Lok Sabha | BJP | Proposal to disqualify Gandhi | Pending / Controversy continues |
| 2026 | Kota | Raj Singh | Threatens Gandhi citing Speaker’s disrespect | Arrested by Kota police |
Details of the Arrest
Raj Singh recorded the threatening video with portraits of Prime Minister **** and Speaker Om Birla behind him, wearing a saffron shawl. In it, he claimed to represent the local unit of ‘Karni Sena’, a hardline Rajput organisation, although the group denied any association with him. BJP leaders also distanced themselves, confirming Singh had no party affiliation.
Kota police officer Tejaswini Gautam told PTI that the arrest followed complaints from local Congress leaders, and Singh is currently being interrogated. Karni Sena confirmed that Singh is not their spokesperson. The organisation primarily campaigns for the rights and honour of the Rajput community in Rajasthan.
Political Reactions
Top Congress leader **** condemned the incident, saying self-proclaimed Modi supporters have begun issuing public death threats against Rahul Gandhi, reflecting a growing culture of hate. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera added that the RSS–BJP ecosystem is cultivating an environment reminiscent of Nathuram Godse’s extremist ideology.
The viral video has sparked intense reactions on social media, though neither BJP nor Karni Sena has publicly commented on Singh’s arrest.