Printu Mahadevan, a prominent figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the State convener of its teachers’ cell and a former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) State president, voluntarily turned himself in to the Peramangalam police in Thrissur on Tuesday evening. His surrender follows a grave incident during a private television debate where he publicly issued a death threat against Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.
Prior to his surrender, the Peramangalam police had already initiated legal proceedings against Mr. Mahadevan. A case was filed under Sections 192, 352, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, citing charges of instigating public unrest and making direct threats.
Accompanied by other BJP leaders, Mahadevan arrived at the police station to complete his surrender process. During his submission, he publicly stated, “I am a teacher. I never promote violence,” attempting to distance himself from the controversial remarks.
The controversy erupted when Mahadevan, who is also a schoolteacher by profession, made the inflammatory statement: “a bullet will be fired at Rahul Gandhi’s chest” during a televised debate concerning the recent protests in Ladakh. This provocative remark immediately drew widespread condemnation. The formal complaint leading to his arrest was filed by C.C. Sreekumar, secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, who accused Mahadevan of openly attempting to incite violence and undermine law and order.
In a related development, the BJP organized protests in condemnation of the police action, labeling the charges against Mahadevan as politically motivated.
Further escalating the political tension, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition caused disruptions in the Assembly proceedings on Tuesday. This occurred after Speaker A.N. Shamseer rejected their motion for an adjournment debate, which sought to address the government’s alleged inaction in prosecuting the BJP spokesperson for the televised death threats against Rahul Gandhi made on September 26.