Cong alleges plot by BJP candidate to kill Kharge & family; saffron party functionary denies charge

Bengaluru: An assassination plot has been hatched to ‘wipe out’ Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife and his entire family by a BJP candidate, the party general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged on Saturday.

Surjewala also shared an alleged audio recording of the BJP candidate from Chittapur constituency in Kalaburagi district, Manikanta Rathod, in which he is heard purportedly saying in Kannada that he will wipe out ‘Kharge, his wife and children’.

Surjewala also stated that a complaint would be filed with the Election Commission of India.

Rathod rejected the charges outright and said, “It is all a lie. They are playing some fake audio. The Congress is leveling baseless allegations fearing defeat.” Addressing a press conference here, Surjewala said, “I am going to play for you an audio recording of an assassination plot to wipe out none less than the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife, and his entire family as being hatched by the BJP leaders. There can be nothing more serious than that”.

He added that ”the assassination plots have entered the electoral discourse of Karnataka and this was the lowest political discourse anyone can stoop to”. “Intimidated by the all-round blessings of Kannadigas being showered on the Congress party and facing a complete rout in the ensuing Karnataka election, the BJP leaders are now hatching a plot to murder Sri Mallikarjun Kharge as also his family members,” Surjewala alleged.

He also alleged the Chittapur candidate is a “blue eyed boy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai”.