Kalaburagi Nagarika Sauhardha Vedike, a consortium of various progressive organisations, staged a protest in Kalaburagi city on Sunday demanding the Home Department to invoke Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) 2000 against rowdy-sheeter and BJP candidate Manikanth Rathod and banish him from the district.
The agitators alleged that Mr. Rathod in an alleged audio spoke in a derogatory manner about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and threatened that he would wipe out Mr. Kharge and his family members.
The BJP has lost their credibility by fielding a rowdy-sheeter like Mr. Rathod who is involved in 40 cases. He is involved in alleged illegal transportation of rice meant for distributing in PDS shops and also milk powder meant for anganwadi centres. There are charges of attempt to murder and possession of firearms against him.
Mr. Rathod was disturbing the social fabric and communal harmony in the district through his derogatory statements and anti-social activities.
In a bid to maintain law and order and peace in Kalaburagi district, the agitators appealed the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar consider the issue very seriously and take a swift action and Manikanth Rathod.
The vedike demanded to invoke KCOCA against Mr. Rathod and extern him from the district.
