Trinamool Congress MP Sayoni Ghosh on Tuesday indicated that she had received an “open death threat” after Secunderabad Nagar Palika and BJP leader Pradeep Dixit in Uttar Pradesh announced… $1 Crore “reward” for whoever “cuts off her head”
“Whoever brings the severed head of Sayoni Ghosh will receive a reward $“Rs 1 crore,” Dixit said pointedly, according to several videos circulating on social media. Speaking to a web channel, Dixit did not deny that he made the ‘reward’ comment.
This drew sharp reactions from the Trinamool Congress leader, who termed the statement as an open death threat and demanded immediate action against the BJP leader.
The row revolves around a photo shared by Ghosh on social media that sparked a controversy that led to an FIR in 2015. Ghosh claimed that her account had been hacked at that time and hackers had posted Shivling’s photo.
Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Ghosh wrote on X: “I was surprised to see a public advertisement featuring $A reward of Rs 1 crore for beheading, issued by Nagar Palika chief and BJP leader from Sikanderabad, UP. “This threat is spreading widely across social media platforms and has been reported in mainstream media.”
“Is the announcement of a reward for beheading a woman, a member of Parliament – issued by a BJP public representative in a BJP-ruled state – the real idea of ‘Nari Shakti Vandhan’ in New Bharat?” she added, referring to the terminology used for women empowerment by the BJP government.
Ghosh also questioned the BJP leadership on women’s safety, saying an elected representative was now facing an “open death threat” from a member of the ruling party.
She urged police authorities in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to take immediate legal action against the BJP leader.
She added: “I want to thank all the well-wishers who expressed concern for my safety. Rest assured, I will continue to exercise my democratic right to be a dissenting voice inside and outside Parliament, and I will not be bullied into silence.”
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Why the dispute over Gosh?
The dispute stems from a 2015 social media post from Ghosh’s account that resurfaced in 2021 and again during the recent West Bengal elections. An FIR has previously been lodged against her for this post.
Ghosh confirmed that her social media account was hacked in 2015 and that the photo was uploaded by the hacker.
She said the post was removed immediately after she regained access to the account.
