A-month-old video of Congress leader Gopalakrishna surfaces on social media

Highlights: Belur Gopalakrishna purportedly urging the celebrates of Nathuram Godse to "first kill" the Prime Minister. 

BENGALURU: On Tuesday a month-old video of Belur Gopalakrishna the Congress leader has gone viral on Twitter as he has been purportedly urging the celebrates of Nathuram Godse to "first kill" the Prime Minister.

The former Sagar MLA apologised and told a source that, "It is a one-month-old video. I have made that statement in pain. I was deeply disturbed by the act of right-wing leaders shooting at the portrait of Gandhiji. I was upset by that act of communal elements which are part of BJP."

As per reports, the video was filmed on the 4th of February at a rally in Shivamogga. It was organised to condemn Pooja Pandey, the Hindu Mahasabha leader as she has posed with a gun aiming towards a photo of Mahatma Gandhi.

In the video, Gopalakrishna is heard telling the gathering, "I tell those who are celebrating Nathuram Godse, the person who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, if you are trying to kill the democratic set-up of the country, have the guts to first kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

The social media team of BJP and the backlash took the Congress leadership by surprise. “Belur Gopalakrishna, a Congress leader in an official party function calls for assassination of democratically elected PM Sri @narendramodi ji. Instigating for the assassination of PM of a country is a national threat & we urge @ HMOIndia, @CPBlr to impose legal action immediately (sic),” the BJP state unit tweeted.

“When right-wing outfits pose with guns pointing at Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, is that correct? My intention was to convey to them that if they were training their guns on Gandhi, then they should first point it at Narendra Modi. I never asked anyone to kill or murder the PM. I respect the constitutional post of the PM. If I have hurt the post of the PM, I apologise for it,” Gopalkrishna said. 

BJP has resolved to file a complaint with the Bengaluru city police commissioner, by urging him to take action against Gopalkrishna.