'Will bury Cong dogs': Shinde's MLA courts another row

In yet another provocative statement, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad has threatened to "bury any Congress dog" coming to his programme.

On Monday, the Buldhana legislator's announcement of a 'reward' for anyone chopping off Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tongue had set off a huge political row.

Talking to reporters on the same day, Gaikwad is heard saying in a video that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde - who heads the Shiv Sena - will attend a programme about the government's flagship 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' for women in his district.

"If any Congress dog tries to enter my programme, I will bury them then and there," Gaikwad is heard saying.

The MLA had earlier announced a Rs 11 lakh reward to anyone who "chops off" Rahul Gandhi's tongue for his remarks on scrapping the reservation system.

"I have made the statement. If I have not apologised, why should the CM do so?....Of 140 crore people in the country, 50 per cent of the population gets reservation. And I am firm on the statement I made about the person who spoke about removing reservation," Gaikwad said, when asked about the controversy.

The police on Monday night registered a case against him over the remark about the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Gaikwad is no stranger to controversies. Last month, a video of a policeman washing his car went viral on social media. The MLA later claimed the policeman cleaned it on his own after vomiting inside.

In February, Gaikwad claimed to have hunted a tiger in 1987, and said he wore its tooth around his neck. The forest department then sent the tooth for forensic identification, and charged Gaikwad under the Wildlife Protection Act.