The Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday booked a Samajwadi Party youth wing leader for threatening Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, PTI reported. Tarun Yadav had announced an award for anyone who beheaded the leaders, The Indian Express reported. Yadav had offered the reward in a letter bearing the letterhead of the party’s Yuvan Sabha district president.

He reportedly did this because of the “Emergency-like situation” in the country because of demonetisation and because he said the two BJP leaders were “responsible” for the 2002 Gujarat riots. In a video, Yadav also dared Modi and Shah to hold a rally in Baghpat district in the state. Yadav later told PTI he had offered an apology for issuing the threat and claimed that he had made the remarks “in a fit of rage”.

The Samajwadi Party, however, has distanced itself from Yadav’s remarks. Party spokesperson Mohammad Shahid told The Indian Express that the SP had “nothing to do with such statements” and that they would initiate action against him.