I will work with pen, also blood: Khurshid

Law Minister Salman Khurshid found himself in yet another controversy on Wednesday with the sufacing of a video footage, shot with a mobile at a meeting of party workers at his New Delhi residence on Tuesday, in which the minister purportedly issued a veiled threat to Arvind Kejriwal. The IAC activist interpreted it as a death threat.

In the footage aired on TV, Khurshid and wife Louise are sitting surrounded by supporters who can be heard vowing not to allow Kejriwal to enter Khurshid's constituency Farrukhabad.

Khurshid is heard saying: "Mujhe wakilon ka mantri banaa diya, mujhe law minister banaa diya, aur kahaa kalam se kaam karo. Karoonga, kalam se kaam karoonga, lekin lahu se bhi kaam karoonga... Wo jaayein Farrukhabad, woh aayein Farrukhabad, lekin laut kar bhi aayein Farrukhabad se... Wo baat yeh kehte hain ki hum sawaal poochhenge, tum jawaab dena. Hum kehte hain ki tum jawaab suno, aur sawaal poochhna bhool jaao (I have been made the Law Minister and asked to work with the pen. I will work with the pen but also with blood... Let him go to Farrukhabad, but let him also return from Farrukhabad. They say they will ask questions and we should respond. I say that you hear the reply and forget asking questions)."

Kejriwal had earlier announced that IAC activists would shift their campaign against Khurshid over alleged misappropriation of funds by his trust to Farrukhabad.

Denying he had made a "death threat", Khurshid said Wednesday: "Since a dishonest person is making the allegation I should not waste my time." Close aides of the minister said he was addressing party workers and making a political statement. "It was not what has been interpreted."

Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi also sought to downplay Khurshid's statement, saying the minister might have meant to ask "how will Kejriwal come to Farrukhabad and go back from there".

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