Shivamogga: S.N. Channabasappa, secretary of the BJP district unit and ex-president of the Shivamogga City Municipal Council, has been detained by the Shivamogga police on charges of making a controversial comment of beheading the CM if he dared consume beef.
A complaint was registered against the local BJP leader, by P.V. Vishwanath, president of the Congress city unit and a member of Shivamogga City Corporation with Doddapet police station on Tuesday.
The complaint stated that the leader had posed a threat to the life of the Chief Minister and was also trying to disturb peace in the region by making provocative statements.
Based on the complaint, the police booked cases under Section 153 (promoting enemity on grounds of religion), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code against.
He was summoned to Doddapet police station in the evening for investigation and was later arrested.
Speaking during a protest held on November 2 condemning the CM’s statement that he would eat beef if he wanted to, S N Channabasappa, a former president of the erstwhile Shivamogga City Municipal Council made the statement, “If he wants to eat beef, let him eat it here at Gopi Circle. Hindu activists and I will surely behead him. There is no second thought to it.”
It evoked strong opposition from various quarters in Shivamogga and elsewhere in the State. The Congress staged a protest in the city on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to Superintendent of Police Ravi Channannanavar demanding the arrest of BJP leader.
Reacting to a BJP leader’s controversial comment of beheading the CM, Siddaramaiah himself had said, “It is a provocative statement. I will ask the police to inquire into it. If it is true, they will definitely take action.”
“If I say I will eat, how will it harm majority community? Don’t we eat other kinds of meat? Food habit is an individual’s choice and should be left to them; no one should interfere with it. Interfering and attacking one’s rights is not correct. It is against the Constitution. It is against individual liberty, it should not be done. Let us inquire if he (Channabasappa) has made such a statement. If he had made such a statement, we may have to take action in accordance with law,” Siddaramaiah said.
