BJP MLC C.T. Ravi Refuses Police Notice, Says Remarks Targeted Individual, Not Community
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC C.T. Ravi has denied that his recent remarks during a protest were aimed at any religious community, stating they were directed at a specific individual. He also refused to accept a notice from the Chikkamagaluru police in connection with a case registered against him over the comments.
The case was filed following Ravi's allegedly objectionable statements made during a protest against a Congress-led demonstration in Delhi. That protest supported students demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
When police visited Ravi's residence on Sunday to serve the notice, he questioned the registration of the case and demanded to see the First Information Report (FIR) before accepting the notice. He argued that his remarks were about an individual who had attempted to set fire to a petrol tanker during the Delhi protest, and not about any community.
“Who is the complainant, and what is the complaint against me? Give me a copy of the FIR before serving the notice. What prompted you to construe my comments about an individual as remarks against a particular community?” Ravi asked the police.
He maintained that he had no hesitation in repeating the same statement. A group of his supporters gathered at his residence and also questioned the police, later raising slogans against them. The police pasted the notice on the wall of Ravi's residence, but his supporters tore it off.
The Chikkamagaluru Town Police registered the FIR based on a complaint by Mudassir Pasha, president of Jamia Masjid, Chikkamagaluru. Ravi has been booked under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with acts intended to promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
