'Pakistan' remark against Muslim official: K'ntka HC rebukes BJP MLC
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Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has strongly rebuked BJP Legislative Council member N. Ravikumar over a communal remark targeting Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fousiya Taranum, questioning how a senior IAS officer could be portrayed as being from Pakistan merely because she is Muslim.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna made the observations while hearing Ravikumar's plea seeking to quash criminal proceedings against him before the special court handling cases involving MPs and MLAs. The judge said the reference to Pakistan based on Taranum's religion was unacceptable and stressed that her identity as a senior IAS officer should not be reduced to her faith.
The controversial remarks were made during a BJP protest in Kalaburagi in May 2025 over the detention of BJP leader and Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy. Ravikumar had described Taranum as someone coming from Pakistan during the demonstration.
His lawyer argued that Ravikumar's criticism was directed only at police officers, whom he accused of acting as servants of the department minister. The state government, meanwhile, said the district administration had not permitted protesters to march carrying the national flag.
The court said politicians have every right to protest, but cannot use that freedom to make communal or offensive statements against public officials. It also questioned whether Ravikumar's subsequent apology to Taranum could erase the humiliation and damage caused by his remarks.
The court rejected the apology as an adequate remedy and urged political leaders to abandon the culture of political vendetta and mudslinging.
A case was registered under Sections 196(1)(a), 196(1)(b) and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following a complaint by a Kalaburagi resident.
The court said any restriction on protesters carrying the national flag could be challenged separately, but could not justify derogatory remarks against officials. The case will be heard again on August 20.