BENGALURU: In a twist into the saga of BJP MLC CT Ravi’s alleged derogatory remarks against Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, the Congress high command has instructed its leaders in the state, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, not to drag Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s name into the issue, sources told TNIE.
AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal issued the instructions at the behest of Rahul as the BJP national leadership would ratchet up the issue to the national level, the sources added.
Laxmi had said that she hit back at Ravi and called him a “murderer” as he had termed Rahul a “drug addict”. Ravi later went on to allegedly use a derogatory remark against her. Shivakumar too had defended Laxmi, saying Hebbalkar attacked Ravi as he denigrated Rahul.
Meanwhile, the day the incident occurred at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on December 19, party chief whip in the Council Saleem Ahmed had called up Venugopal and apprised him of the incident.
Venugopal later discussed it with Rahul and a message was passed onto state leaders not to take Rahul’s name anymore referring to this episode, the sources said.
“This is the reason Hebbalkar in her complaint to Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti just mentioned that she was replying to Ravi as he attacked a Congress national leader. We too think that Rahul’s name should not have been dragged into this episode. We thank Saleem for getting the high command’s direction on this,” a party MLC told TNIE.
Congress leaders, including ministers, are not taking Rahul’s name, remarked another party leader.