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Karnataka: FIR against BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan for 'finish off Siddaramaiah' remark

The MLA later clarified that his remarks were "casual allusions and not malicious"

Former Karnataka minister and BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan (middle) waves to supporters during election campaign | PTI

The Karnataka Congress has filed a complaint against former state minister and BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan for his alleged statement to "finish off" Siddaramaiah like "Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda finished off Tipu Sultan".

The FIR was filed at Devaraja Police Station in Mysuru on a complaint filed by KPCC spokesperson M Lakshmana and Mysuru District Congress Committee president B J Vijaykumar on Wednesday.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 506 and 153 of the IPC, reported ANI. 

The incident regarding the case happened during the election campaign at a public event in February. Ashwath reportedly exhorted people to "finish off" Siddaramaiah the way the two Vokkaliga chieftains -- Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda -- had killed 17th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan.

Though Congress had filed a complaint at Malleshwaram police station against the MLA, no action was taken. The minister had also issued a clarification that his remarks were "casual allusions and not malicious."

"Let me make my stand clear. The words used to compare Tipu Sultan and Siddaramaiah in Mandya are casual allusions and not malicious words. But my words are being misconstrued. It wasn't meant to hurt anyone," he tweeted.

"Debate is an integral part of politics & essential for a healthy democracy. It is in this spirit that my words should be interpreted. It may be @siddaramaiah 's culture to be calling the Prime Minister a "mass murderer" and assailing the Chief Minister," read his tweet.

The minister also added that he was merely hinting at the fact that Congres should be routed in the election. And, after all, our people of Mandya do not possess the brutal mentality of Tipu," Ashwant tweeted.

Siddharamaiah then responded to the issue, stating that love and friendship cannot be expected from leaders of a party, which "worships the murderer of Mahatma Gandhi".