'Not the Statements to be Made': Karnataka HC Tells BJP MLC to Apologise to DC Over Pakistan Remarks
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: The Karnataka high court has asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC N. Ravikumar to extend a direct apology to Kalaburagi deputy commissioner Fouzia Tarannum over the former’s “Pakistan” remarks against the IAS officer.
While hearing the plea of Ravikumar seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him, a vacation bench of the high court comprising Justice Suraj Govindaraj on Thursday (May 29) orally asked the MLC to extend a direct apology to Tarannum, reported Press Trust of India.
On May 24, during a BJP protest, Ravikumar had accused IAS officer Tarannum of working on the orders of the Congress party and had said “she seems to have come from Pakistan. His statement had resulted in widespread outrage and protests by a delegation of Muslim women who urged the Karnataka police to take action against the BJP leader.
Following his statement, Ravikumar was booked on charges of inciting hatred against Muslims and using derogatory language by calling police officers slaves on the basis of the complaint by one Dattatreya Ikkalakhi.
He was also accused of threatening and causing insult to Scheduled Caste people and District In-charge Minister Priyank Kharge.
“These are not the statements to be made. You have seen what happened in Madhya Pradesh and the Supreme Court, with a sitting minister, you are no different, you cannot be making such kind of statements,” the high court orally remarked while hearing Ravikumar’s plea, reported LiveLaw.
The counsel for Ravikumar submitted that an apology has been made, to which the court said, “After making the statement the apology has to be accepted by the person. You make your apologies to the lady in question and let her accept it and you place it on record, and then we will consider this not until then.”
“This is completely unnecessary. Please apologise to her and let her accept it and place it on record and then we can consider it, until then difficult,” the court added.
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