Karnataka BJP Leaders File Complaint Against Congress's Ivan D’Souza for Alleged Incitement
MANGALURU: BJP leaders lodged a complaint with Mangaluru City Police Commissioner against Congress leader and MLC Ivan D’Souza, accusing him of making inflammatory statements and inciting a riot during a protest held in front of the Mangaluru Municipal Corporation on Monday.
The BJP leaders led by MLAs Bharat Shetty and Vidavyas Kamath met the Commissioner and submitted the complaint on Monday evening.
In their complaint, the BJP leaders condemned D’Souza’s speech, in which he criticized Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot for granting permission to investigate corruption allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
They claimed that D’Souza had allegedly warned that if the Governor is not recalled by the President of India, Congress workers would force him to flee overnight, similar to the situation with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The complaint also noted that D’Souza threatened to launch a "Governor’s Office Chalo" campaign to oust the Governor.
The BJP leaders have accused D’Souza of delivering an unconstitutional and provocative speech that sent a wrong message to the public, inciting them to riot. Alleging that his speech led to stone-pelting at buses and the destruction of public property, thereby spreading fear among the public, the BJP leaders demanded the police to file a suo-motu case against Ivan D'Souza.
The complaint further highlighted that the Governor belongs to the Dalit community, suggesting that this was an attempt to suppress Dalits and destabilize the state. The BJP leaders urged the authorities to take legal action against D’Souza under Section 152 of the Bharathiya Nyay Samhita and the relevant sections under Prevention of Atrocities on SC-ST.
Leader of the opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka alleged that Congress is conspiring to usher in anarchy and instability in Karnataka.
"As the resignation of corruption-tainted CM Siddaramaiah becomes imminent, the Congress party is conspiring to usher in anarchy and instability in Karnataka by threatening a Bangladesh like attack on Hon'ble Governor's office," Ashoka posted on X.
"Deeply embarrassed due to series of scams and cornered by the people of Karnataka, Congress is now trying to manufacture unrest in the progressive and peaceful society of Karnataka. Such nefarious designs will only lead to further trouble for Congress and people of Karnataka will reject it," he added.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra too criticised the incident.
"Isn’t it a disservice & insult to the great founding fathers of our Constitution, particularly Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, that the Congress seeks inspiration from violence-stricken Bangladesh & NOT the values enshrined in the very Constitution that our esteemed leaders painstakingly crafted?," he questioned in a post on X.
"The actions of Congress leaders, who are attempting to incite unrest and attack the constitutional position of the Governor, reveal a deeply rooted authoritarian mindset-one that prioritizes power at the expense of our Democracy and Constitution. When corruption takes center stage, it is the people who suffer. The deteriorating law and order, coupled with misgovernance and the strong-arm tactics of the Congress leadership, are clear indicators of this grim reality," he added.
