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BJP leader who threatened to behead Siddaramaiah arrested
A BJP leader who threatened to behead Siddaramaiah and “play with his severed head” if the Karnataka chief minister consumed beef was arrested on Tuesday.
A BJP leader who threatened to behead Siddaramaiah and “play with his severed head” if the Karnataka chief minister consumed beef was arrested on Tuesday.
The BJP leader’s remark came at a time when the party and its affiliates are facing a slew of accusations of being intolerant.
SN Chanabasappa, a close aide of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and BJP district secretary, made the remark at a protest meet organised by the party on Monday amid simmering tensions in parts of the country over cow slaughter and beef trade. He was arrested under Sections 153 (creating enmity between communities), 353 (obstructing a public servant from discharging duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Read: BJP leader threatens to behead Karnataka CM over beef remark
The police had earlier filed a case of criminal intimidation against Channabasappa, who said the threat was “just a figure of speech “but challenged the state government to arrest him.
“If Siddaramaiah has guts, let him come to Shimoga and eat beef,” Channabasappa said on Tuesday, repeating his threat. “If he thinks we will spare him, he’s wrong. Let him kill a cow and show. We will separate his head from his body and play football with it.”
He was responding to a recent statement from the chief minister who said it was his right to eat beef while condemning the mob killing of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh over suspicions of cow slaughter.
“I have not eaten beef till now but now I will. It’s my right,” Siddaramaiah had said, daring the BJP and Sangh Parivar. “I will eat beef now. Who are you to question me?”
“It is a provocative statement,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. “BJP is known for such things, that’s why we are opposing them. These people are known for intolerance. Government will take action against those who make provocative statements and spread intolerance. Nobody can threaten me.”
