Congress alleges plot by BJP candidate to kill Kharge & family; saffron party functionary denies charge

An assassination plot has been hatched to wipe out Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife and his entire family by a BJP candidate, the party general secretary and Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged on Saturday.

Surjewala also shared an alleged audio recording of the BJP candidate from Chittapur constituency in Kalaburagi district, Manikanta Rathod, in which he is heard purportedly saying in Kannada that he will wipe out Kharge, his wife and children.

Rathod rejected the charges outright and said, It is all a lie. They are playing some fake audio. The Congress is leveling baseless allegations fearing defeat. Addressing a press conference here, Surjewala said, I am going to play for you an audio recording of an assassination plot to wipe out none less than the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife, and his entire family as being hatched by the BJP leaders. There can be nothing more serious than that".

He added that "the assassination plots have entered the electoral discourse of Karnataka and this was the lowest political discourse anyone can stoop to".