B’luru: Congress files complaint against Amit Shah for hate speech

Karnataka Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Parmeshwar and DK Shivakumar have filed a complaint with Bengaluru’s High Grounds police station seeking action against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his speech where he made a controversial statement that if Congress came to power in Karnataka, there will be communal riots. It is pertinent to note that a police complaint has been made but no FIR has been lodged yet.

The complaint states that the speech was “shockingly riddled with flagrantly false statements aimed at tarnishing the image of Indian National Congress by levelling false and unfounded allegations, with a clear objective of trying to create an atmosphere of communal disharmony amongst the gathered crowd and the individuals viewing it on other media platforms”.

Congress took objection to his statements that Siddaramaiah had released all PFI workers from custody and that Congress has given an election promise that if elected, it will lift the ban against PFI. It also highlighted his statement that if Congress wins the state elections, the entire state of Karnataka will be afflicted with communal riots.

Shah had also said, “If the Congress is voted even by mistake, then it will lead to all-time high corruption, appeasement and all-time high dynastic politics, and the entire state will suffer from riots.” He further

The complaint further states, “These statements, which were widely reported in the media, make two things amply evident; (i) the statements made by Shri. Amit Shah are designed to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, and are thereby punishable under Section 505 of the IPC and other provisions of the IPC; (i) the statements indirectly threaten and try to mislead electors into voting for a particular political party and candidate, thereby being punishable under Section 123 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951”.