K'taka Congress leader defends his remark 'Have Guts? Kill Modi', says ready to apologise

Bengaluru (Karnataka), [India], Mar 5 (ANI): Karnataka Congress leader Belur Gopalkrishna on Tuesday defended his controversial remark—‘Have Guts? Kill Modi'—but denied to have said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to be assassinated.
“I have respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I never said the Prime Minister has to be assassinated. How can I be silent when Gandhi ji is disrespected? I had said will you do the same thing to the Prime Minister? I will definitely apologise if my statement hurts anyone,” Gopalkrishna told ANI.
Gopalkrishna stoked controversy when his video, wherein he can be heard instigating the public to assassinate Prime Minister Modi, went viral.
“Those who talk about Godse are anti-nationals and should be thrown out of the country… Those who try to demolish democracy should be killed…If you have guts, kill Modi,” said Gopalkrishna in the video.
Soon after his remarks surfaced on social media, BJP Karnataka tweeted: “Belur Gopalkrishna, a Congress leader in an official party function calls for the assassination of democratically elected PM Sri @narendramodi ji. Instigating for the assassination of PM of a country is a nation threat & we urge @HMOIndia, @CPBlr to impose legal action immediately.”
Gopalkrishna made this statement on February 4 during an event, which was organised to protest against dishonouring Mahatma Gandhi.
“People set Mahatma Gandhi’s effigy on fire and pointed a pistol towards it. This hurt me a lot. It was Hindu Mahasabha who did that and they are a part of the BJP,” he told ANI.
“How can I be silent when Gandhi ji is disrespected by someone," said Gopalkrishna said. “I said--will you do the same thing to the Prime Minister? I will definitely apologise if my statement hurts anyone,” he added. (ANI)