Claims of PM Modi’s assassination plot an attempt to ‘gain sympathy’: Congress

Opposition Congress and NCP in Maharashtra on Saturday questioned the government’s claim that Maoists were planning to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident".

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam described the claims of Modi's assassination an attempt to "gain sympathy" in a time when his popularity was declining.

“It needs to be investigated whether this info is correct or not and this is also true that Mr Modi is habitual of spreading such false info to gain sympathy particularly when his popularity declines,” Nirupam tweeted.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also raised suspicions about the claims of such a conspiracy and described them as "publicity stunt" and an attempt to divert attention from issues related to the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

“The information should have been probed first instead of citing it as a ground to seek remand. It goes on to show that there is an attempt to do a publicity stunt,” NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged.

Early on Friday, Pune police had arrested five persons for alleged Maoist links. During the investigation, police found a letter from the house of one of the five suspected Maoists. In the letter, the ultras had mentioned a “Rajiv Gandhi-type incident” to assassinate Modi, according to Pune police.