Rahul Gandhi gets assassination threat, Congress leaders to meet home minister Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has received an assassination threat, and a high-powered Congress delegation is meeting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at 3 pm to appraise him of "the seriousness of the threat" and to seek "additional security measures" for Gandhi.

Top Congress leaders and senior home ministry officials confirmed both facts -- the assassination threat and the meeting with the home minister - to Economic Times. These people spoke on the condition they not be identified.

Economic Times has learnt the assassination threat came via an unsigned letter written in Tamil and posted in Pondicherry on May 4. Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Karaikal tomorrow, Tuesday May 10, for a public meeting.

The letter was sent to V Narayanswamy, who was a minister in the PMO in the UPA government. The letter claims Congress has been responsible for "closure of industries in Pondicherry" and threatens that Gandhi will be "blasted" when he addresses the Karaikal meeting.

Home ministry officials said after the meeting with the Congress delegation, security procedures for Gandhi, who's an SPG protectee, will be reviewed.