As Nirupam and his family face a backlash on social media, his wife Geeta has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring safety of her family since she is feeling "very unsafe" in India in the wake of the online trolling.
Nirupam told reporters here that Pujari called on his residence landline on October 5 around 11.15 AM from a foreign number and he had filed a police complaint at the Versova police station.
"I have filed a complaint with Versova police about the threat," he said, adding that so far neither Mumbai Police Commissioner nor any other authority has sought information from him in this connection.
Nirupam, whose recent comments questioning veracity of surgical strikes by Army in PoK had evoked critical reactions from across political spectrum, sought to blame the BJP government on the alleged threat he received.
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Unfazed by the attack over the issue, Nirupam said "earlier too such strikes have taken place. But now it has been politicised. Why should evidence not be demanded on the strikes? If Pakistan is campaigning against us, evidence should be placed. We are proud of our Army."
Targeting the BJP, he said the ruling party is indulging in politics over the blood of soldiers. "We will definitely ask questions. This has never happened before."
Expressing concern about security of her family, Geeta has appealed to Modi to "check the vulgar comments of the random social media activists and keep politics aside from the personal and familial life."
"I am sadly disappointed and waiting for you to press the
stop button and at least make sure that there is some censorship that monitors language on mass media. Politics is not a family game, so, can we stop dragging families into it? I want answers to my questions.
She said, "He (Nirupam) was talking about the nation and politics, not about his personal life and family. So, why is this so-called culture- and family-oriented nation -- that otherwise worships 'the Devi' -- dragging his 80-year-old mother into this political drama and abusing her by using the most vulgar language possible on social media?"
"If a girl is raped or molested, activists organise candle marches to restore modesty, but not one person is ashamed of using social media to abuse, emotionally torture and verbally 'rape' the women in my family by threatening to burn my husband alive or killing him in broad daylight, just because he expressed his opinion," Geeta said.