By Sagay Raj: An FIR was filed against Karnataka BJP MLA and former Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday for his “finish off Siddaramaiah off like Tipu Sultan” remark. He had made the remark in February this year while addressing a public gathering to appeal for votes.
He had compared Siddaramaiah to Tipu Sultan and claimed the latter did not die fighting the British, but was killed by two Vokkaliga chieftains, Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda. Narayan had said if the BJP was not voted to power, “Tipu Siddaramaiah” would come and the Congress would face the same fate Tipu Sultan faced in the hands of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda.
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At the time, Siddaramaiah had hit out at Ashwath Narayan and accused him of “instigating people”. The Karnataka Congress unit had also filed a police complaint against Narayan but FIR was not registered.
However, on Wednesday, a delegation of Congress leaders led by Mysuru District Congress Committee President BJ Vijaykumar went to Devaraja police station and submitted a fresh complaint. Afterwards, an FIR was lodged against Ashwath Narayan under Sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The Congress leaders threatened a sit-in protest in front of the police station if an FIR was not registered.
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In February, after his comments sparked a controversy in the state, Ashwath Narayan had claimed that his words were “misconstrued”.
He said he was only “alluding to the fact that Congress should be defeated” in the 2023 state Assembly elections. Siddaramaiah took oath as the Karnataka CM on May 20.
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Published On:
May 24, 2023
