Kalaburagi police detain BJP leader Manikanth Rathod for charges of assault against Priyank Kharge
Kalaburagi: BJP leader Manikanth Rathod was taken into custody by officers of the Chowk Police Station on charges of misrepresenting an injury from a road accident as a case of physical assault by Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge.
The police acted after a previous round of interrogation of Rathod's supporter revealed that Rathod's injuries were the result of a road accident and not a physical assault, contrary to the claims made by the BJP leader.
Reports indicate that police officers detained Rathod from his residence on Humnabad Ring Road just before a scheduled press conference where he intended to address Minister Priyank Kharge's counter-allegations against him. The police denied Rathod permission to speak to reporters during his arrest.
Earlier in the week, Kharge refuted Rathod's assault allegations, asserting that the injuries claimed by the BJP leader were a result of a car accident and not an assault. Minister Kharge labeled Rathod's accusations as false, citing police investigations that had already debunked the BJP leader's claims.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
