‘Kill mercilessly, no problem’, Karnataka CM seen issuing order on video after JD(S) leader is murdered

india

Updated: Dec 25, 2018 15:50 IST

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has been caught on camera telling someone over the phone to kill the attackers of a local leader of his Janata Dal(Secular) party, Honnalagere Prakash, “mercilessly in a shootout”.

“He (Prakash) was a very good man. I don’t know who did this and why. But kill them (assailants) mercilessly in a shootout, there is no problem,” Kumaraswamy is heard saying in the video clip.

The chief minister later defended his statement as the video was shared widely on social media. His office issued a statement saying the comments were an emotional reaction to the incident and not orders.

“The words used while receiving information about this incident were an emotional reaction to the incident and not an order by the chief minister,” the statement said.

Prakash was attacked by unidentified men with machetes on Monday in south Karnataka’s Mandya district while he was travelling in his car in Maddur.

“Prakash, who was murdered, was a party loyalist. I have instructed the police to take all necessary measures to ensure that such incidents are not recurring,” Kumaraswamy said in a statement issued by his office.