BJP has ‘hatched plot to murder Mallikarjun Kharge’, alleges Congress; cites audio clip of Karnataka MLA candidate

Surjewala said that the BJP was intimidated by the prospects of the Congress party and the BJP leadership had “hatched a ‘murder plot’ to kill the AICC president.” This, he said, was clear from the audio recording of Rathod “who also happens to be the ‘blue-eyed boy’ of PM Narendra Modi and CM Basavaraj Bommai.”

#WATCH | BJP leaders are now hatching a plot to murder Mallikarjun Kharge and his family members. 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: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala… pic.twitter.com/JuKFTYktNy

— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2023

In the purported audio clip, a local BJP leader Ravi is heard asking Rathod – who is accused in several criminal cases – about the number of cases registered against him. The BJP candidate replies using expletives against Kharge and tells Ravi to get the list of “44 cases” registered against him from Congress leaders.

Ravi then asks for the phone number of someone from the Kharge camp so that he could get the details. Rathod replies that he does not have their number as he would “wipe off” his (Kharge’s) wife and children if he had the number.

Surjewala added that the frustration and desperation of the BJP and its leadership have now reached dangerous proportions. “Instead of presenting a vision of development for Karnataka, the pathetic state of the BJP is that they coin one ugly polarising issue a day to somehow save their skins from answering for the 40 per cent corruption (allegations).”

“Even these abusive and divisive tactics of the BJP are sinking without a trace. Now, they are using assassination plots as their last weapon,” the Congress leader said.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to campaign for Manikanta Rathod, it was cancelled as Rathore was recently convicted in a criminal case.