Hate speech: Karnataka High Court notice to Anant Hegde, CT Ravi

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday ordered issuance of notices to Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde and Chikkamagaluru MLA C.T. Ravi.

The court was hearing a petition alleging that the two BJP leaders made provocative speeches inciting communal violence during Tipu Jayanti celebrated by the State Government last November.

The petitioner, Alam Pasha, submitted the information against the two BJP leaders at the Indiranagar police station, but the police there refused to accept it.
He then filed a private complaint in the magistrate court which also was dismissed. He has now challenged the order of the magistrate court in the High Court.

The magistrate court had dismissed Pasha's private complaint (PCR) stating that prior sanction was required to register a case against them. Pasha in his petition before the High Court has stated that the magistrate even failed to give a number to the PCR and thus he was unable to obtain the copy of the magistrate's order.

The private complaint filed by Pasha is part of the petition. It cites statements of Hegde and his tweets, including the ones where he allegedly called Tipu a mass rapist.

The petition cites an alleged tweet by Hegde, "Conveyed #Karnataka Govt NOT to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic & mass rapist". In another tweet, Hegde challenged the chief minister to invite him to the function.

"If the Government prints my name on the invitation card, I will attend the function and raise slogans from the dais against Tipu. If Siddaramaiah has the guts, let him stop me."

The petition cites a statement allegedly made by CT Ravi and quoted in a newspaper. "Communal Congress led by arrogant @siddaramaiah is repeatedly insulting Hindus by celebrating Tyrant Tipu Jayanthi despite severe opposition.. and thrive on anti-Hindu appeasement policies," it states.