The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has once again drawn sharp criticism, this time for filing an FIR against senior BJP leader and MLC C.T. Ravi. His alleged “provocative speech” during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Maddur has sparked a fresh political storm, with the opposition BJP accusing the ruling party of shielding miscreants while targeting nationalist voices.
On Wednesday evening, during the Ganesh immersion procession in Maddur, Ravi addressed participants after reports of stone-pelting by miscreants. Speaking in a passionate tone, Ravi lashed out at those behind the violence. However, the Maddur police swiftly registered a suo motu FIR against him, citing his speech as “provocative.”
This action has set off a wave of anger in the BJP camp, which claims that Ravi merely expressed the sentiments of thousands of Hindus who felt betrayed and attacked during their festival.
Reacting strongly, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra slammed the Congress government, saying it has exposed its anti-Hindu and biased face.
“The same Congress government which turns a blind eye when people raise slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ or hoist Pakistan’s flag, has moved swiftly to file a case against Ravi for voicing the pain of Hindus. What does this show? That Congress is a government of appeasement, a government that shelters traitors,” Vijayendra thundered.
ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ್ ಜಿಂದಾಬಾದ್ ಕೂಗುವವರು, ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ್ ಧ್ವಜ ಹಾರಿಸುವವರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಕ್ರಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹಿಂದೇಟು ಹಾಕುವ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಮದ್ದೂರಿನ ಗಣೇಶೋತ್ಸವದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕಲ್ಲು ತೂರಾಟ ನಡೆಸಿದ ದುಷ್ಕರ್ಮಿಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಭಾವೋದ್ವೇಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿರುವ ಮಾನ್ಯ @CTRavi_BJP ಅವರ ಮೇಲೆ FIR ದಾಖಲಿಸುವ ಮೂಲಕ ತಮ್ಮದು ಪಕ್ಷಪಾತಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರ,… pic.twitter.com/rXmJmen9RG
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) September 11, 2025
He added that fighting for Indianness and Hindutva is the BJP’s core mission, and no number of FIRs or police harassment can weaken the resolve of party workers. “This FIR is not a punishment—it is a badge of honor in the struggle to safeguard our dharma and our nation. The people of Karnataka will give a fitting reply to the Congress,” he declared.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok also condemned the case against Ravi, calling it “political vendetta at its worst.”
“The Siddaramaiah government is misusing the police machinery to silence opposition leaders. Never in the political history of Karnataka has hate politics of this scale been witnessed. Ravi has done nothing but defend the sentiments of Hindus who were attacked while celebrating Ganeshotsav. Instead of punishing the culprits, this government is targeting those who speak against them. It is shameful,” Ashok said.
He demanded that the FIR against Ravi be withdrawn immediately and accused the Congress of trying to instil fear among opposition leaders.
Interestingly, the Congress government itself seems divided on the issue. Mandya District In-charge Minister Chaluvarayaswamy admitted that the stone pelting during the Ganesh immersion procession in Maddur was carried out by “fanatic Muslim miscreants.”
Ashok seized upon this admission, asking whether Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar would now acknowledge the truth or sack his own minister for speaking out just as former minister K.N. Rajanna was removed from the cabinet after his critical remarks.
“This government’s hypocrisy is glaring. On one hand, their own minister says Muslims were behind the violence, but on the other hand, they file an FIR against Ravi for pointing to the same reality. This is nothing but appeasement politics at the cost of law-abiding citizens,” Ashok said.
The BJP has also accused the Congress of following a consistent pattern, refusing to act against those chanting anti-India slogans or hoisting Pakistan’s flag, but acting with lightning speed against leaders who call out such behaviour.
“This is not just about Ravi. It is about the larger agenda of the Congress to suppress Hindu voices, embolden anti-nationals, and carry out appeasement politics for vote-bank gains,” said state BJP Kisan morcha vice president M Rudresh.
BJP leaders claim that the Congress is deliberately trying to polarise Karnataka’s politics by targeting opposition leaders while allowing miscreants to go unpunished.
