A case of alleged kidnapping has been filed against former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA M Munirathna and his associates in Karnataka. The complaint, filed by Samuel, a Congress party worker and painter, accuses Munirathnas associates of coercing him to join the BJP.According to the police, Samuel stated in his complaint that he was lured by Munirathnas associates to Rajkumars tomb under false pretenses and then taken to the MLAs office in Vayalikaval. He claims to have been detained for two days and subjected to intimidation in an attempt to force him to switch party allegiance.Police inspector confirmsPolice Inspector J Lakshman confirmed that a case has been registered against Munirathna and four others under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation). The investigation is ongoing, with CCTV footage being collected to verify the claims.BJP MLA denies allegations of kidnappingIn response, MLA Munirathna denied the allegations, calling them baseless. He claimed that Samuel approached him expressing support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP MP CN Manjunath. Munirathna stated that his party welcomes anyone willing to join.However, Munirathna criticized the police for filing the FIR without conducting a thorough investigation. He accused them of trying to disrupt his BJP campaign in the Bengaluru Rural Constituency elections, comparing the situation to past incidents in Kanakapura.
