KALABURAGI: Congress leaders including ministers Parameshwara Naik, Priyank Kharge and leaders of Banjara community belonging to the Grand Old Party including Subhash Rathod have alleged that RSS activists and followers of Dr. Umesh Jadhav, BJP's candidate for the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat were indulging in criminal activities for preventing them from continuing election campaign.
Addressing a press meet here on Thursday, Banjara community leader Subhash Rathod who joined Congress Party quitting BJP recently alleged that on Wednesday when he was returning after campaigning for the Congress candidate along with Parameshwara Naik in Thandas of Chittapur taluk, alleged followers of Jadhav stopped the minister's car on the Main Road near Nalwar village and demanded to send him out of the car.
"They were shouting that they would pour petrol on the car and light it on fire. It is an attempt to murder me," Rathod alleged.
He further said that Jadhav's followers manhandled him and tore his shirt.
Naik said that though no one manhandled him or abused him, he was witness to the incident in which Rathod was asked to come out of the car.
"They assaulted Rathod as well as a woman leader of the Party who also suffered in the scuffle. They damaged the window panes of the car by hitting on it with their hands," he said.
Naik further said that the people who came in 2 vehicles were not locals but from Mudnal Thanda of Yadgir district and some of them are the relatives of Jadhav. The same group abducted former minister Revu Naik Belamagi of Janata Dal (S) who was campaigning for Congress candidate Mallikarjun Kharge at Gurumitkal a few days back.
The minister alleged that BJP State unit General Secretary N Ravikumar who is having RSS background and is in-charge of Party for Kalaburagi district is trying to create a fearful atmosphere in the constituency and trying to bring in the minds of Lambani community that the Thanda people were opposing Congress.
"But we addressed Lambani people in many thandas of Chittapur and there was an overwhelming response," Naik claimed.
He said that Congress Party workers have lodged a complaint against the incident in the police Station and a complaint would be given to Election Commission also.
Kalaburagi district in-charge minister said as long as he would remain as the minister, he would not allow such activities in the district.
"The main target of BJP was to defeat Mallikarjun Kharge by hook or crook and for this, their agenda is to attack his (Priyank Kharge) name," he said.
Former ministers Revu Naik Belamagi and Babu Rao Chauhan were also present in the press conference.