NEW DELHI: Former Karnataka minister and BJP MLC CT Ravi, who was arrested Thursday on charges of making ‘derogatory’ remarks against minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, alleged a conspiracy to murder him through a false complaint. The BJP leader also alleged negligence by the police, who he said had not yet registered a complaint or a zero FIR yet.
“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,” CT Ravi said in a video released by news agency ANI.
The BJP leader further claimed that there was a conspiracy hatched to murder him and said the ruling Congress government in Karnataka will be responsible. “If something happens to me, Congress government must take responsibility. By registering a false case, they’re conspiring to murder me,” he said.
The incident followed the arrest of former minister Ravi on Thursday from the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises. He was charged with making derogatory remarks against Karnataka’s women and child development minister, Laxmi Hebbalkar. Initially detained at the premises, Ravi was transported in a police van to a nearby station and later moved to Khanapur station, located 25 kilometers away.
“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 police, DK Shivakumar, Lakshmi Hebbalkar and their team will be responsible,” he added.
Accusing the Congress government of resorting to ‘Emergency -like’ tactics, the BJP leader said “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.”
Filing a counter complaint, CT Ravi alleged a plot to kill him by Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Chamaraja Hattiholi, DK Shivakumar, Saddam.
Senior BJP leader Ravi has been accused of sexual harassment and charged under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly using words, gestures, or actions intended to insult a woman’s modesty. On Thursday, Ravi denied the allegations, dismissing them as “false.”
The controversy erupted on Thursday after a heated argument between ruling and opposition parties in Karnataka over alleged remarks by Union home minister Amit Shah, perceived as insulting to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Amid the tensions, Ravi was accused of making a sexually abusive remark directed at Congress member Hebbalkar.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and BJP senior leader R Ashoka has accused the Belagavi City Police Commissioner of torturing BJP MLC CT Ravi. “The police station has turned into a Congress party office. As elected representatives, we have been waiting here for over 4-5 hours, but the Police Commissioner refuses to acknowledge our concerns. Ravi was tortured and suffered head injuries while in custody. Karnataka is witnessing a ‘goondaraj’ under this government.
BJP’s Karnataka handle said, There is suspicion that the state government had hatched a plan to illegally take the arrested MLAs from one police station to another and have them face-off on the way. It is condemnable that the state Congress government has tried to murder the Legislative Council member and former minister Ravi”.