Ashok Chandana, a former minister in the Ashok Gehlot cabinet and the current Congress MLA from Bundi, has caused a huge controversy with his latest speech, this time threatening police officers while addressing tractor rally by farmers in Rajasthan’s Kota on Wednesday.
“Tel nikal doonga, khoon ke asoon rula doonga (will torture so much you’ll cry tears of blood),” Mr Chandana said at the farmers’ rally.
His comment was seen as aiming at police personnel to warn them not to harass Congress workers.
“They should not trouble Congress workers on anyone’s directions because this government will change soon,” the Congress MLA said at the farmers’ rally in Kota’s Sangod.
He alleged the state BJP government has been troubling Congress workers at the behest of BJP leaders, adding the “parchi government” will soon change.
Mr Chandana is known for his bizarre utterances. He also made a faux pas last year during India’s Moon mission Chandrayaan, when he congratulated astronauts for “landing on the Moon”. He did not know it was an unmanned mission.
Reacting sharply to Mr Chandana’s comments, Rajasthan BJP general secretary Moti Lal Meena said the Congress government when it was in power in the state would summon police and revenue officers and make them do their party work.
“Now, the administration is working for the people, for the good of the public, and this is an example of good governance by the BJP. This is clearly not going down well with the Congress. If the Congress’s central leadership has no command over what it says, then what can you expect from local leaders?” Mr Meena said.
Mr Chandana, who is no stranger to controversies, had allegedly assaulted a junior engineer of the state electricity board in 2019, which blew up to huge protests by power department officers.