Kalaburagi: A shocking case has been registered against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manikanta Narendra Rathod, 30, after a video he posted on Facebook went viral, triggering widespread outrage and raising serious concerns over communal harmony in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, reported the Hindustan Times.
In the controversial video, Rathod is allegedly heard speaking in the Lambani language, calling for the mass murder of Muslims and urging the killing of individuals accused of so-called “Love Jihad” within eight days. He even claimed that if police were withdrawn from Kalaburagi for just 15 minutes, a massacre of Muslims could be easily executed.
The video sparked widespread condemnation on social media. Civil society groups, political leaders, and citizens across the country expressed anger and demanded Rathod’s immediate arrest. A complaint was filed by Syed Aleem Ilahi, 34, leading to the registration of an FIR at the Central (CEN) Police Station.
Kalaburagi Commissioner of Police Sharanappa S D confirmed the case, stating, “Rathod allegedly uploaded a provocative video on Facebook. We are gathering evidence to determine the extent of his culpability.”
This is not Rathod’s first brush with controversy. Just days earlier, on May 26, 2025, another case was filed against him at Chittapur Police Station for making derogatory remarks against Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge. That complaint, filed by Hanumanth Soman, a Congress party worker, accused Rathod of making statements intended to disturb public peace.
Rathod, a former BJP candidate from Chittapur constituency, had lost in the last Assembly election to Priyank Kharge. Legal proceedings are now underway under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 196(1), 196(2), 197(1), 197(2), 299, 351(3), 353(2), and 2.2.
The disturbing rhetoric has once again highlighted growing concerns about communal polarisation and hate speech being used as political tools.
