Congress files complaint against Amit Shah over his ‘riots in Karnataka’ remark

Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Parmeshwar and D K Shivakumar on Thursday filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against Union home minister Amit Shah and organisers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally for allegedly making ‘hateful and provocative statements’

Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Parmeshwar and D K Shivakumar on Thursday filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against Union home minister Amit Shah and organisers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally for allegedly making ‘hateful and provocative statements’.

Union home minister Amit Shah (File Photo)

“We have given an FIR ‘[first information report] against Union HM Shri Amit Shah to be lodged and action to be taken against him for spreading hatred among classes and religions, disrupting the harmony of the peaceful state of Karnataka, committing corrupt practices, knowingly making false statements and attempting to malign the INC [Indian National Congress],” Surjewala said.

Addressing a rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi district on Tuesday, Shah allegedly said, “If the Congress comes to power, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high and Karnataka will be afflicted with riots. The development of the state will be in reverse gear if Congress forms the government.”

Filing the complaint, the Congress leaders stated: “The said individuals have committed serious offences which are punishable under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Representation of People Act, 1951.”

Shah’s speech was riddled with flagrantly false statements aimed at tarnishing the image of the Congress party by levelling false and unfounded allegations with a clear objective of trying to create an atmosphere of communal disharmony amongst the gathered crowd and the individuals viewing it on other media platforms, said a Congress leader.

The party Congress leaders alleged that these statements, which were widely reported in the media, make two things amply evident; (i) the statements made by Shah are designed to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, and are thereby punishable under Section 505 of the IPC [Indian Penal Code] and other provisions of the IPC; (ii) the statements indirectly threaten and try to mislead electors into voting for a particular political party and candidate, thereby being punishable under Section 123 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.

Speaking to media persons after the police complaint, Shivakumar on Thursday said statements by Shah are “very serious” and that it was an attempt to scare people to vote against Congress. “How is it right for Amit Shah who is in such a high position to threaten the people of a state? What kind of democracy is this? So, we have filed a complaint against him under IPC sections 153, 153A, 171G, 505, 120B, 123,” added the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief.

Strongly objecting to the home minister’s remark, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Shah’s comment was an insult to Karnataka and its people. “Never ever has Karnataka seen such things before! It is a disrespect to Kannadigas. Does it mean we are rioters? How can he say like this, being the Union home minister? We will question this and register a complaint with the Election Commission and with the court,” Kharge said.

Polling for the 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly will be held on May 10 and the results will be announced on May 13.