'Anything can happen to anyone': After stirring controversy with 'PM kidnap' remark, Chavan says it was a 'warning'

Prithviraj Chavan

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday sought to clarify his controversial remarks comparing India to Venezuela, saying his intention was to warn about the erosion of international norms and the potential collapse of the United Nations system due to recent US actions. His comments had earlier triggered sharp political reactions and criticism from the ruling BJP.

Chavan had stirred controversy with remarks that appeared to suggest that US President Donald Trump could take extreme action against India similar to what he referred to as the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. During his earlier comments, Chavan, a former Maharashtra chief minister and Union minister, had said, “Will something like what happened in Venezuela happen in India? Will Mr Trump kidnap our Prime Minister?” The statement was widely interpreted as tongue-in-cheek by some, while others termed it irresponsible.

Later in the day, Chavan clarified that he was not implying any direct threat to India or predicting such an outcome. Pressed on the “kidnapping” reference, he said that was not what he meant and explained that his larger point was that unchecked actions by powerful nations could lead to serious global consequences.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Chavan said he was referring to what he described as the United States’ actions in Venezuela being a violation of the UN Charter and international laws. “After that, Trump also issued threats to the president of Colombia, which is a neighbouring country. He is also talking about seizing Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, and Panama, which is an independent nation... So, if a consensus is not built on this in the world, the entire United Nations system can collapse, just as the League of Nations system collapsed. So, this was a warning that if all the countries together do not exercise caution, anything can happen to anyone,” Chavan explained.

He further asserted that he was not suggesting that anything specific would happen to India, but added, without offering evidence, that Trump had been threatening Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had done so again recently. “My only objective was to say that we should be worried,” Chavan said.

Asked once again about the kidnapping remark, the former Union minister reiterated, “It is not about kidnapping. Any action can be take,” trailing off while emphasising that his comments were meant as a broader cautionary message.

The clarification, however, did little to quell political criticism. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla launched a strong attack on Chavan and the Congress, accusing the party of harbouring what he called an “anti-India ideology.” “The comment is strongly condemnable. Chavan has insulted sanatan and our forces after Operation Sindoor before. This is not the first time the opposition has made an anti-India statement,” Poonawalla said.