‘Kill mercilessly’: Kumaraswamy orders action after JDS leader’s death, sparks row

The JDS worker was also a former Zilla Panchayat (ZP) member of the district.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister has sparked a controversy after he was caught on camera asking to ‘mercilessly’ kill the accused in the murder of a Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) worker. Media reports suggest that the Chief Minister was apparently speaking to a senior police officer following the death of JDS leader Honnalagere Prakash.
“Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy caught on cam telling someone on the phone ‘He(murdered JDS leader Prakash) was a good man, I don’t know why did they murder him. Kill them (assailants) mercilessly in a shootout, no problem,” tweeted news agency ANI.
Defending himself, Kumaraswamy said, “It (kill assailants mercilessly) was not my order, I was emotional at that moment. They (killers) are the reason for two murders and they were in jail. They came out on bail two days ago and killed another person (JDS leader Prakash), this is how they are misusing bail.”
Prakash was killed by four assailants due to alleged personal rivalry in Karnataka’s Maddur town in Mandya district on Monday.
“Prakash, 50, was attacked by four men with a machete on Monday evening due to suspected personal rivalries. He succumbed to his injuries,” Maddur police station sub-inspector Kumara had said.
The JDS worker was also a former Zilla Panchayat (ZP) member of the district, the police officer had said.
A hunt was on to nab the accused, he had added.
Expressing shock over the party activist’s death, Kumaraswamy had said, “Prakash was a loyal party worker. The district police have been directed to take steps to arrest the accused.”