BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan Moves Karnataka High Court Against Registration Of FIR Over 'Finish Off Siddaramaiah' Remark

Member of Legislative Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party Leader, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, has moved the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him for allegedly making a derogatory statement in February at Mandya during an election rally against now Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The plea states that petitioner was on election campaign in February 2023 and while addressing his party workers, he enthusiastically made his speech to motivate the party workers to campaign for his political party. According to a report of The Indian Express, the BJP leader and then Higher Education Minister had said Siddaramaiah should be “finished off” just like the Tipu Sultan.

“The Petitioner during his speech likened and in a comparative statement wherein he referred to the warriors Urigowda- Nanjedowda and Tippu Sultan as a metaphor to a political fight and an electoral victory," Narayan's plea reads.

Narayan has argued that without any intention of causing any sort of injury either verbally or physically to the then leader of the opposition in the State, he made the speech in question only "with an intention of defeating another political rival in the elections". It is abundantly clear that it was not meant in any literal sense, but more of a way of vanquishing an opponent by way of an électoral poll, he has argued.

“Subsequently, the petitioner has given a clarification in respect of the said speech made by him before the house and media within the same week in February 2023. There was quietness to the issue after that for a very long time. Respondent No. 2, all of sudden filed a Complaint on 24.05.2023, within four days of the political party coming into power and FIR in Crime No. 42/2023 came to be registered on the same day,” the petition states. 

The FIR is registered under sections 506 (Criminal Intimidation) and Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code by one M Lakshmana, associated with KPCC.

It has been argued that the complaint made is false, frivolous and does not make any prima- facie case as against the Petitioner. 

“The FIR does not disclose who is the affected party/victim of the statement alleged to have caused a threat and criminal Intimidation In the entire State of Karnataka. It is just a concocted and Imaginative version of the Complainant. This action of the Complainant/Respondent No. 2 has led to serious mental agony and irreversible damage to the petitioner as all media channels and news reports have carried this un-necessary bit of news continuously on all channels,” according to the petition.

Narayan has further said that in his political career for nearly two decades, he has not made any statements to cause hurt to the feelings of people.

"He has held responsible positions in his tenure as a Member of Legislative Assembly and holds a very good reputation in the society. The present Complaint has been filed only with an Intention to tarnish his Image before the public at large," his plea argues.

Case Title: Dr C N Ashwath Narayan And STATE OF KARNATAKA

FR no: WP 11150/2023