Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday condemned an alleged threat issued by a BJP candidate in the Karnataka Assembly election to kill Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family members. Mr. Gehlot demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s top leadership take urgent action in the matter.
“Such an indecent act can only be expected from a party like the BJP... They have stooped to the lowest possible level during the election campaign in Karnataka,” Mr. Gehlot said at a press conference at his residence here. He expressed surprise that even the Election Commission was silent after the “assassination plot” was revealed in an audio clip.
Creating fissures
BJP candidate from Chittapur constituency in Karnataka, Manikanta Rathod, allegedly made a statement that he would wipe out Mr. Kharge and his family. Mr. Gehlot said the BJP was terrified by its impending defeat in the southern State and was unnerved by the growing popularity of Mr. Kharge, following his efforts to bring all Opposition parties together to challenge the ruling party at the Centre.
The Chief Minister said the BJP candidate had criminal antecedents, as he was facing 40 cases of attempt to murder, drugs and narcotics smuggling, illegal possession of firearms and criminal intimidation. “Such a man giving threats to the elderly Congress president shows the decadence of the BJP. Where will the country head to, if such people are given a free rein,” Mr. Gehlot asked.
Mr. Gehlot said the trend of BJP leaders making objectionable remarks and giving threats had started with Mr. Modi giving a call to make a Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India). “Mr. Modi has continued with his barbs in Karnataka and resorted to all sorts of tactics to create fissures and polarisation in the society for political gains,” he said.
“The Election Commission should stop Mr. Modi from undertaking an election campaign in Karnataka, as he has alluded to religious issues, generated passions and tried to create divisions in the society by his speeches... This is my honest view,” Mr. Gehlot said. He said the reports emerging from Karnataka’s interior areas suggested that the BJP had failed to create polarisation despite best efforts.
