Kalaburagi: BJP leader Manikant Rathod threatens mass killing of Muslims; Second case filed
Police yet to arrest the BJP leader despite two FIRs; Widespread outrage
Kalaburagi: Shahabad Police filed an FIR against BJP leader Manikant Rathod on Sunday, for threatening to undertake a murder of Muslims en masse by Boramathi community if Kalaburagi police held back from intervening for 15 to 20 minutes.
Rathod shared a video clip on his Facebook page on Saturday, alleging that law and order had deteriorated in Kalaburagi district. He added that the Muslim community should be uprooted and people accused of ‘Love Jihad’ should be murdered within eight days.
As the video clip went viral, a case was filed by CEN Police on Saturday, while Shahabad Police have now registered a second case against Rathod, based on a complaint filed by Mohammad Masthan, a resident of Shahabad, alleging that the BJP leader was attempting to distort communal harmony with his video clip.
Muslim leaders as well as leaders of progressive organizations have expressed fury at the police inaction in the matter in spite of two cases being filed against Rathod for his provocative statements.
Earlier, Chittapur police had also filed a case against the BJP leader for making derogatory remarks about District In-charge Minister Priyank Kharge.
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K'taka remains central to Aequs' strategy, says min Patil amid row over firm's investment in TN
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister M B Patil on Monday asserted that Aequs continues to expand in the state and that its proposed investment in neighbouring Tamil Nadu was a business decision aimed at diversification, not a shift away from Karnataka.
Reacting to criticism on social media over reports that the Karnataka-based firm had signed a major investment deal in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district for setting up a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster, he said the state government was fully aware of the company's plans and remained confident about its long-term commitment to Karnataka.
"While we welcome every major investment in India, would like to clarify a few points," Patil said in a post on 'X'.
Aequs was significantly expanding its footprint within Karnataka, including a Rs 3,000 crore investment in Kolar for electronics manufacturing.
"Its recently approved Rs 1,500 crore ECMS project will also be grounded in the state. Karnataka remains central to its long-term strategy," he said.
Patil added that the government had prior knowledge of the TN proposal.
The government was already informed and aware that the TN investment is a business decision aimed at geographic diversification and de-risking operations, not a shift away from Karnataka.
"Healthy competition between states strengthens India's manufacturing ecosystem," he said.
Emphasising the state's focus on high-technology sectors, Patil said, "We remain committed to deepening Karnataka's leadership in aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and our engagement with industry partners is strong and ongoing."
The Aequs Group has pledged Rs 4,000 crore to bolster Tamil Nadu's aerospace manufacturing capabilities at the SIPCOT-Shoolagiri Industrial Park in Krishnagiri district.
The group proposes to establish a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster for the production of aircraft engines, gearbox components, and precision engineering parts. This initiative is expected to provide employment to 7,000 individuals.
