Bengaluru: Landed in a controversy for his 'kill mercilessly' remark, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday defended himself saying that it was not his order, he made the statement out of emotions.
"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," Kumaraswamy said.
The Chief Minister on Monday was caught on camera asking to 'mercilessly' kill the accused in the murder of a Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) worker. Media reports suggested 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," news agency ANI quoted Kumaraswamy as saying.
H 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."
(With inputs from agencies)
