A delegation of Congress leaders in Gujarat, led by its state president Jagdish Thakor, on Tuesday demanded that a complaint be filed against BJP leader Manikanta Narendra Rathod for allegedly threatening Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family.
Rathod is pitted against Kharge’s son Priyank in the Chittapur constituency in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Priyank is the sitting MLA. Karnataka votes on May 10.
Recently an audio clip of a purported conversation between Rathod and a local BJP leader had gone viral in which Rathod is allegedly heard saying he would “finish off” Kharge’s wife and children.
Chief spokesperson of Gujarat Congress Manish Doshi told THE WEEK that it is strange that none from the BJP’s top leadership have come out against Rathod but instead are defending him.
The application was made as part of the Congress’s plan to meet police chiefs in various states with regards to the threat. The Congress leaders reached the Police Commissionerate office and submitted the application.
Rathod has denied the allegations against him.
Doshi averred that if a case can be filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Surat then a representation can surely be made in Gujarat to take against Rathod.
Gandhi is facing a two-year conviction for his remarks “how come all thieves are named Modi” uttered during a rally in Karnataka in 2019. He was disqualified as a Parliament member after the conviction. The Gujarat High Court is to pronounce a verdict on Gandhi’s plea for a stay against the sentence.
