DAVANGERE: Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka on Friday said the BJP will formally lodge a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission over the “manhandling, illegal arrest, overnight torture and subsequent threats” against former minister and MLC CT Ravi by the Belagavi police and the Congress-led state government.
Addressing the media in the city, he said the police tried to pressurise Ravi and weaken him mentally and physically by taking him across four districts covering 800 km, stopping at isolated places. “The state government which treats terrorists with a red carpet has treated BJP leader Ravi like a terrorist, which is very sad,” he said.
Ashoka said he was made to wait for more than five hours outside the Khanapur police station. Questioning the presence of the Belagavi city commissioner of police at Khanapur police station, Ashoka said the investigating officer was pressured by the commissioner, who doesn’t have any jurisdiction.
In the earlier incident of the alleged raising of “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans by the supporter of Rajya Sabha MP Dr Nasir Hussain, the state government acted softly. They even didn’t issue notice till the report from FSL came and arrested the accused. But now Ravi was detained and arrested illegally without any notice and within hours of receiving the complaint, he criticised.
The police, even without knowing the jurisdiction of the legislature, arrested Ravi illegally. Legislature immunity issue was also not looked at by the police and they acted like goondas, he alleged.
“If any shame is left with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress-led state government, they should resign immediately,” he said. Terming the Karnataka High Court decision to provide interim relief to Ravi as a landmark decision, he said the people of the state will kick out the Congress government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should be counting his days, said Ashoka.
He also said Ravi will not apologise till the allegations against him is proved in the court. If the charges are proved, they will not hesitate to apologise.
Satya Mewa Jayathe: Ravi
Reiterating the statement Satya Mewa Jayathe, which he said at Belagavi in the morning, Ravi said the 8-10 hours of journey across four districts was horrific.
He said even though he was bleeding due to the injury on his forehead, police didn’t show any interest in getting him treated and he was even kept hungry throughout night, because of which his health had deteriorated. Ravi said his complaint was not even received by the police at Khanapur or by the office of the chairman of the Legislative Council.
Ravi said his version of the incident was not heard. Ravi questioned whether there is a Constitutional administration or Congress administration in Karnataka. He further questioned whether there is an autocratic government or democratically elected government.
Questioning the way he was arrested by the police, he said the police treated him like a terrorist by filing a fake case and an FIR was not registered against his complaint at Khanapur.