BJP leader booked for issuing threat to Priyank Kharge

Manikant Rathod, a BJP leader from Chittapur in Kalaburagi district, who issued a threat to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson and Chittapur MLA Priyank Kharge at a press conference on Friday, was booked late on Saturday.

After a written complaint lodged by Tippannappa Kamakanur, KPCC vice-president and former MLC, at the Brahmapur Police Station, the police booked the case under Section 506 [criminal intimidation] of Indian Penal Code.

In the complaint, Mr. Kamakanur said that the open death threat by Mr. Rathod had shocked Congress workers and leaders. He also noted that Mr. Rathod had a criminal history and was facing banish order which has been stayed by the High Court.

Mr. Rathod is said to have pasted “Priyank Kharge Missing” posters in Chittapur town with an appeal to people to request the MLA to return to his constituency if they find him anywhere. The poster triggered protests by Congress workers and Mr. Kharge’s fans in Wadi and Chittapur towns on Tuesday forcing the police to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disperse the agitating mob in Wadi.

Mr. Kharge, who returned to the district on Thursday, admitted that he was not in his constituency for the last 50 days as he was walking with the party’s national leader Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra and also, was in Delhi for three days to pursue the Union government to accord Scheduled Tribes tag to Koli/ Kabbaliga community. He hit back at BJP leaders by inviting them for a public debate on corruption and misrule of the BJP government in the State.

Mr. Rathod, in his response on Friday to the outburst by Mr. Kharge who said that if he wanted to, he won’t allow BJP leaders to walk free, expressed his readiness to get shot by Mr. Kharge and also shoot at him.