Ashok Gehlot slams BJP over 'assassination plot' audio

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at the BJP on Saturday over an alleged threat by a party candidate in Karnataka polls to wipe out Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and his family, asking when will the Centre break its silence on the indecent behaviour.

Sharing an audio clip on Twitter, Congress Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala has claimed that the BJP’s candidate from Chittapur constituency in Kalaburagi district, Manikanta Rathod, has hatched an assassination plot against Kharge and his family.

Rathod has rejected the allegation, saying it’s a fake audio, and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said an investigation would be conducted to find out the authenticity of the recording.

Sharing Surjewala’s tweet, Gehlot wrote in Hindi that Rathore’s voice is “showing” the real face of the BJP.

Fearing election defeat in Karnataka and the popularity of Kharge, the BJP is committing such heinous acts, Gehlot alleged. “When will the government break its silence on this indecent behaviour?” he asked.

In the audio clip shared by Surjewala, Rathore purportedly is heard saying in Kannada that he would “wipe out Kharge, his wife and children”.

Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra also targeted the BJP and its leaders on this issue. “The BJP and the Modi government at the Centre are restless after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and are doing such activities which are very dangerous for democracy,” Dotasra told reporters here.

He said Rathore has given a “very shameful and condemnable” statement.