BENGALURU: State Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Thursday sought an explanation from BJP MLC N Ravikumar for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh. However, the BJP MLC has denied the charges made against him.
Earlier in the day, Congress MLC and chief whip Saleem Ahmed and other Congress MLCs filed a complaint with Horatti, demanding that Ravikumar be divested of his membership. Horatti told reporters that Congress members have given a complaint, demanding action against the MLC. “I have written to Ravikumar seeking his explanation. Once I get his reply, action will be taken accordingly,” he said. Horatti said he doesn’t have the power to cancel Ravikumar’s membership. “We will seek legal opinion,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, Ravikumar issued a statement denying allegations made against him. “I am appalled that a remark against the Chief Secretary, purportedly made by me, is making the rounds in a section of print and social media... I have not made any derogatory remarks against the Chief Secretary,” he stated. He also said he had been in Hyderabad for three days on an official work, and was shocked to learn about the statement attributed to him.
Ravikumar also pointed out that he was supposed to have made the derogatory statement against the chief secretary on the day BJP held a protest in front of the Gandhi statue near Vidhana Soudha. I have neither delivered a speech nor spoken to the media. So the question of making derogatory remarks against Chief Secretary does not arise at all,” he added.
The Karnataka IAS Officers’ Association also condemned the derogatory remarks allegedly made by Ravikumar. “The CS holds the highest civil office in Karnataka and is a widely respected officer known for her integrity, commitment, and distinguished public service. The remarks made in public are not just vulgar and defamatory, but also directly undermine the dignity of her office and larger civil service. Such remarks not only denigrate public institutions but also erode the trust they hold, the IAS officers’ Associations said. They demanded an unconditional apology from Ravikumar.