Pramesh S Jain
K
arnataka BJP MLC C T Ravi was arrested on Thursday after an FIR was registered against him, for allegedly using an offensive word against minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council.
On the last day of the winter session of the Karnataka legislative council,woman and child development minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accused the former national general secretary of the BJP of using a derogatory term against her. She also filed a complaint with the legislative council chairman.
The comments were allegedly made against Laxmi Hebbalkar by C T Ravi during an altercation that took place in the house during a discussion about Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Based on a complaint filed by minister Hebbalkar, a case was registered against C T Ravi under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word,gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the BNS, a senior police officer said.
BJP MLC Ravi has denied the accusation and called his arrest the result of “goonda raj”. He said, “Her allegations are false, let the audio and videos get verified, I will speak after that. I won’t say anything now. This is not the right time to answer this question. I’m not someone who will abuse someone personally. I have not abused her, I don’t know why she felt that way.”
Hebbalkar approached the Chairman with a complaint and asked them to check the audio and video related to the incident, however as the house was adjourned at the time, the recording had stopped.
Congress MLCs Umashree, Balkis Banu, Yathindra Siddaramaiah and Nagaraj Yadav also gave statements in her favour.
The chairman stated before adjourning the house ‘sine die’ that he had never come across such an incident in the house, where derogatory language was publicly used and asked both parties to introspect.
Ravi is being shifted to Bengaluru and to be presented before the People’s Representatives Court on Friday morning, as stated by official and BJP sources.
Despite denying the allegations and calling them false, Ravi staged a protest. Congress leaders mentioned that Hebbalkar had lodged a complaint with the Legislative Council Chairman.
Supporters of Hebbalkar from Belagavi approached Ravi angrily within Suvarna Vidhana Soudha but were stopped by security personnel.
Some even protested outside, leading to their removal by police. Congress leaders claimed that Ravi repeatedly used derogatory words during an altercation after the House was adjourned earlier due to uproar over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B R Ambedkar.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah commented on the incident, stating that Ravi used offensive language towards Hebbalkar, which amounts to a criminal offence. “Everyone is saying that he used the word ten times,” he noted, adding that it constitutes sexual harassment against her.
Following Hebbalkar’s complaint,Council secretariat staff were asked to review video and audio recordings. However, officials reported that recording had stopped when the incident occurred as the House was adjourned.
The Chairman later heard statements from Hebbalkar and other Congress MLCs accusing Ravi of using derogatory language.
