RR Nagar bye-polls: Bengaluru police file case against Congress candidate Kusuma Ravi

The Bengaluru Police on Wednesday registered a case against Congress candidate for the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar bye-polls, H Kusuma Ravi for allegedly assaulting a police officer on duty while filing nominations. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Kengeri Police Station under Sections 34 (Common intention), 188 (Deterring a public servant from performing duty) and 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

In his complaint to the Kengeri Police, assistant sub-inspector Nagaraja N alleged that the incident occurred on Wednesday when he was deployed for security at the east entrance of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar. Candidates from the BJP, Congress and JD(S) were to file their nominations on Wednesday, due to which security measures were in place. 

Nagaraja alleges that H Kusuma Ravi and Siddaramaiah arrived at the east entrance of the BBMP office in RR Nagar at around 11.15 am and when they saw the barricades, they allegedly asked Nagaraja to set them aside and allow them to pass. He said in his complaint that despite informing Siddaramaiah and Kusuma’s entourage that they would not be allowed to pass, Siddaramaiah’s bodyguards and several Congress leaders allegedly assaulted Nagaraja and pushed the barricade aside in order to allow three cars to pass. 

The Congress however, has taken issue with the case being registered against its candidate. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar called the move “dirty politics” and accused BJP leaders and the BS Yediyurappa government of “using the police” to “intimidate” the Congress candidate and party workers. 

“We have drone footage of what happened. Within 100 metres of the barricade, there were two BJP ministers, five MLAs, and there were leaders from all parties. Why couldn’t they register cases against them then? They are targeting a woman candidate in order to intimidate our party workers. Our candidate has been trying to work towards the empowerment of women in the area and the BJP is trying to stop this,” DK Shivakumar said, while adding that the state government is hand in glove with the police in trying to intimidate Kusuma Ravi, as she is new to the political environment in the state. 

“If you think you can intimidate us, you are dreaming and you are being foolish. This is the dirtiest of dirty politics the BJP is indulging in. If you think you can file a case against our candidate, you think we will get scared? You are trying to stop our candidate for campaigning and trying to scare her. We won’t be scared. Weren't BJP leaders there? Weren’t BJP party workers dancing around and did they not violate norms? We will go to the Election Commission and we will expose the dirty politics of the BJP to the voters,” DK Shivakumar added.

Watch: DK Shivakumar lashes out against ruling BJP government after FIR against H Kusuma Ravi