CT Ravi, a former minister and BJP MLC in Karnataka, said on Friday that there was a plan to kill him “by registering a false case”. Ravi stated that if anything happened to him, “DK Shivakumar, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, and their team” should be held accountable.
The BJP MLC’s video message comes a day after he was arrested for reportedly using a derogatory term against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council.
In the video, BJP leader CT Ravi says, “Police brought me to Khanapura police station around 8 pm. They didn’t tell me in which case they brought me. They’re not registering my complaint, they’re not even filing zero FIR. If something happens to me, Congress Govt must take responsibility. By registering a false case, they’re conspiring to murder me. I have already filed a complaint. It’s been 3 hours since I was brought to the police station, and I haven’t been told why I have been brought to the police station. If something happens to me, the police, DK Shivakumar, Lakshmi Hebbalkar and their team will be responsible. They’re treating me like a criminal, and it’s creating doubt in me. I have worked as a minister, and I’m a people representative. They’re acting the way they acted at the time of emergency.”
#WATCH | Belagavi, Karnataka: BJP leader CT Ravi says, “Police brought me to Khanapura police station around 8 pm. They didn’t tell me in which case they brought me. They’re not registering my complaint, they’re not even filing zero FIR. If something happens to me, Congress Govt… pic.twitter.com/3AUfoE9VGR
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2024
In response to the claims, Karnataka BJP MLA Abhay Patil stated that the Congress government has turned the Karnataka Assembly into a “tool for generating problems”. “A murder attempt was made yesterday on CT Ravi, a four-time MLA, within Vidhan Soudha. A couple of members of Congress arrived and tried to manhandle and kill him. The police also had a hand in this. So, this is a serious concern,” he said.
Patil then accused the state government of being a “Tughlaqi government” that “resorts to hooliganism”.
CT Ravi was put into a police van from the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (Karnataka Legislative Assembly) on Thursday following his comment on Hebbalkar.
According to a senior police officer, a case was filed against the former BJP national general secretary under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to offend the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in response to the Minister’s complaint.
While Ravi refuted the charge, calling it “false,” and staged a protest, Congress leaders said Hebbalkar had filed a complaint with the Legislative Council Chairman.
Hebbalkar and Ravi had a verbal spat, and when she made certain remarks about him, she alleged he used derogatory terms about her. “I couldn’t believe an MLC would use such a phrase and wait for confirmation. He might have been heard saying that term and had walked away. Later, Hebbalkar herself arrived and told a few of us about it, in distress.” “We complained to the Chairman and requested his removal. “The Chairman has assured action after verifying audio and video,” Yathindra, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son, stated.
“If I have used such derogatory words, show it. There should be a police investigation. Laxmi Hebbalkar is making false allegations and on her instigation, people came shouting slogans in favour of her and against me,” he said.
On 19 December, a case against congress MP and leader of the opposition was also filed by the former union minister and BJP MP, Anurag Thakur, for ‘grievously hurting’ BJP MPs in parliament. Congress is using this tactic of violence to divert attention from the essential legislative reforms that the BJP wants to introduce in parliament.
