BJP members protest against Siddaramaiah's 'Hindu terror jibe' in Karnataka; detained

ANI photo

BENGALURU: Several BJP workers on Saturday staged a protest in front of the district Congress committee office at Mallikatta here condemning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's 'Hindu terror' jibe at the BJP and RSS. As per reports, the police more than 80 workers into custody. They all were released later.

In a no-holds-barred attack, Siddaramaiah had on January 10 alleged that the BJP, RSS and Bajrang Dal had terrorists within their organisations, a charge rubbished by the saffron party. "They themselves are like terrorists in a way. The BJP, RSS and Bajrang Dal also have terrorists within," he had said, taking his attack on the Congress' principal political rival to a new level, ahead of the state Assembly polls due early this year. After coming under an intense attack from the BJP for his remarks, Siddaramaiah had yesterday called those associated with the saffron party 'Hindutva extremists'.

Coming out in defence of CM Siddaramaiah's 'Hindu terror' remarks, Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said those who created an atmosphere of terror in the society were called terrorists. "He (Siddaramaiah) had said extremism...Those who create an atmosphere of terror in the society are called terrorists. Their (BJP-RSS) conduct is also like that," he told reporters in Mangaluru.

Siddaramaiah's comments quickly escalated into a raging controversy with the BJP filing a complaint against the Chief Minister and and state Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao for making derogatory statements against the party. On Friday, a delegation of the BJP leaders led by former state Law Minister Suresh Kumar met Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Sunil Kumar and filed the complain accusing Siddaramaiah of branding BJP and RSS members as 'terrorists'.

The party wanted Siddaramaiah to be made 'liable for defamation and promotion of enmity' between citizens under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code and under provisions of law. "He has knowingly made irresponsible statements to malign a national political party like the BJP," it said.

The complaint said Siddaramaiah who is "nervous about losing" in the state polls, has made "a baseless, false, frivolous and derogatory" statement which had not only defamed the party, but also incited groups and classes of the society against it.  The complaint alleged that Siddaramaiah was misusing his position to spread "blatant falsehood" against the party with an ulterior motive of reaping political gains. "The entire effort of Siddaramaiah to issue such a controversial statement is to create enmity and hatred among people and against the BJP," it added.

In the complaint, BJP has made similar charges against the state Ccongress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao. Alleging that Rao has said BJP was like a terrorist organisation, it said this was "baseless, malicious, derogatory, defamatory and false." The BJP demanded that Siddaramiah and Rao be made "liable for defamation and promotion of enmity between citizens" under IPC Section 153A and under provisions of law. They should be booked "under the said provisions of law and action taken for the penal offences," the complaint added.