Karnataka Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Bommai responded to the allegations by the Congress that certain leaders of the saffron party were hatching a plot to kill Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and said the matter has been taken seriously and legal action will be taken if anything wrong is found. He said, "We have taken the matter seriously. We will inquire into the whole thing and the law will take its action," Bommai told ANI. Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has alleged that BJP leaders were hatching a plot to murder party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and his entire family. He said, "This is now clear from the recording of BJP's candidate from Chittapur who also happens to be the blue-eyed boy of PM Modi and CM Bommai."
"Intimidated by the all-round blessing of Kannadigas being showered on the Congress Party and facing a complete rout in the ensuing assembly elections, the BJP and its leadership are now resorting to hatching a “murder plot” to kill AICC President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife and the entire family," he said.
Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala while addressing a press conference played a purported audio clip and claimed that it was the recording of a BJP candidate from the Chittapur constituency in Kalaburagi district, Manikanta Rathod. In the clip, the caller was heard saying in Kannada that he will wipe out ‘Kharge, his wife and children’. Surjewala said that BJP has hatched a plan to kill Kharge and his family and that there can be nothing more serious than that. However, Rathod has outrightly denied the claims by the Congress, he said “It is all a lie. They are playing some fake audio. The Congress is levelling baseless allegations fearing defeat”, PTI reported.
As per ANI, Manikanth Rathod was arrested on November 13, 2022 for allegedly threatening Priyank Kharge, who is the Congress candidate in Chittapur, with murder and later, released on bail. In a media conference then, he had openly expressed his readiness to shoot down Priyank Kharge.
Surjewala 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”
Surjewala further said, "Of course, PM Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka Police and the Election Commission will play "mute" on this sinister conspiracy to kill AICC President and his family".