BELAGAVI: RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said he will drag BJP leaders, including state party chief BY Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, to the court over what he called false allegations made against him in connection with a complaint filed by Kalaburagi BJP leader Manikant Rathod alleging that the minister was planning to murder him.
Saying that he is hurt and his credibility is at stake due to constant verbal attacks by the BJP leaders, Priyank said that the investigation has found that the complainant’s allegations were far from the truth.
Priyank defeated Rathod from Chittapur in this year’s Assembly elections. “This one complaint by the Chittapur BJP candidate has put me in a tight spot. I was at the receiving end from almost all the big BJP leaders — right from state president Vijayaendra to R Ashoka. As the investigation now is singing a different tune, I will not spare anyone. I will file a criminal defamation case against them. Don’t I have credibility? I am not here to listen to all this,” he told reporters.
Rathod had alleged that he was attacked by miscreants while he was on his way to Kalaburagi from his farm in Malgatti village on November 19, 2023.
“BJP leaders are frustrated because they are not finding anything against the State Government and are indulging in such dramas. They did not even cross-check whether it was true or false and just jumped to his (Rathod’s) defense. This person has 22 cases of theft, cheating, and other offenses against him and has even served a year’s sentence. I was waiting for the probe to be completed, which has proved that the complaint is false and the complainant was not present in Malgatti at that time,” Priyank said.
Priyank said he would take action only after holding consultations with party leaders.