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‘Santro Ravi claimed himself as BJP worker...’: Ex-Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy
HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by saying that Santro Ravi, the alleged kingpin of human trafficking who is in a centre stage nowadays for his alleged proximities with the BJP leaders, wrote a cover letter to police claiming himself as BJP leader.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by saying that Santro Ravi, the alleged kingpin of human trafficking who is in a centre stage nowadays for his alleged proximities with the BJP leaders, wrote a cover letter to police claiming himself as BJP leader.
"Santro Ravi, who has been in the news for a few days, has written a cover letter in the police station as an active worker of BJP. Earlier, a person named Jagdish filed a complaint against Santro Ravi at the Rajarajeshwari Nagar police station in Bengaluru for transfer fraud. In return, Santro Ravi, wrote a cover letter to police, claiming himself as an active worker of the BJP in it," Kumaraswamy told reporters here, adding that Santro Ravi also bragged himself of a rejig of the police officers and mentioned the names of police officers he had transferred in the cover letter.
READ | HDK demands probe into BJP leaders’ ‘link’ with criminal, CM denies charge
The former Chief Minister also read the said letter here on the spot.
"What does this indicate? He attended the police station in connection with a case and has written such a cover letter," Kumaraswamy said.
"I have worked as a BJP worker for three-four years. I have associations with MLAs and ministers of our party. So I have transferred many officers," Kumaraswamy quoted Santro Ravi as saying in the cover letter.
Sharpening his attack further at the ruling party, Kumaraswamy said, that BJP is spoiling the sanctity of the saffron colour by muffling sacred saffron cloth on the shoulders of people like Santro Ravi, Silent Sunil, Fighter Ravi.
The Congress Party slammed BJP saying that Santro Ravi alias KS Manjunath is closely linked with the BJP.
READ | Karnataka Home minister refutes Kumaraswamy's claim of link with Santro Ravi
"Posting a photo of State Education Minister B C Nagesh along with 'Santro Ravi', Karnataka Congress, in Kannada, on its official Twitter handle said, "All the ministers of BJP are closely related to Santro Ravi in a prostitution racket, transfer racket. Is the Minister of Education B C Nagesh also a beneficiary of his racket? BJP government? Is the government controlled by pimps? How many more brokers are there for the Commission government."
Earlier this month, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dismissed the opposition's claim of a state minister's alleged proximity with Santro Ravi and said that a probe into the matter would unravel the links.
"A probe into the alleged proximities of Santro Ravi will reveal true colours and there is no question of shielding anyone," Bommai told reporters in Musuru.
The Chief Minister said he has instructed the Mysuru police to strictly investigate the case as there are many complaints against Ravi. "My wish is that truth must come out," he added.
It is said that he is a highly connected person and the police will find out his past and would take strict legal action against him, Bommai said.
