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BJP MLA Arrested Over Alleged Death Threats To Contractor In Karnataka
In a dramatic turn of events, Munirathna, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Karnataka’s RR Nagar constituency, was arrested on Saturday. The arrest comes in the wake of allegations that Munirathna issued death threats to a contractor and made casteist slurs against the Vokkaliga and Dalit communities. An audio clip purportedly featuring Munirathna’s voice making these threats and slurs went viral, leading to widespread public outcry and demands for action.
Munirathna’s arrest took place in Nangali village near Mulbagal town in Kolar district, where it is believed he was attempting to escape to Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. The police used his phone location to track and apprehend him. After the arrest, the Kolar Police handed Munirathna’s custody over to the Bengaluru Police. He is expected to be presented in court, and further legal actions are anticipated.
Cheluvaraju, the contractor who lodged the complaint against MLA Munirathna, met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday. He submitted that despite the police filing two FIRs, no action had been taken. Karnataka Police had earlier filed these FIRs against the BJP MLA at the Vyalikaval police station in Bengaluru. Cheluvaraju’s plea for action was met with assurance from CM Siddaramaiah of legal action and protection.
The cases also implicate Munirathna’s Personal Assistant Vijaykumar, security personnel Abhishek, and Vasanth Kumar. Cheluvaraju had previously sought protection from Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, alleging that Munirathna demanded Rs 20 lakh from him and threatened him with the same fate as Renukaswamy, a reference to a notorious case where Renukaswamy was kidnapped and killed by associates of Kannada superstar Darshan.
The incident has sparked reactions from various political figures. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticized the Congress government for what he termed as the “politics of vengeance” and called for the audio clip to be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for confirmation. Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy distanced himself from statements demeaning any community, while Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa condemned the casteist remarks, linking them to the BJP’s alleged ‘Manuwad’ mentality.
In response to the incident, the BJP issued a notice to Munirathna, seeking an explanation before the party’s Disciplinary Committee. The notice highlighted that his statements in the audio clip violated party discipline, signaling a potential rift and further consequences within the party.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
