Chalavadi seeks arrest of MLA Bharath Reddy for ‘hate speech’

The Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, has blamed Congress MLA Bharath Reddy for the Ballari banner violence and demanded his arrest for ‘hate speech’.

Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Saturday, Mr. Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clearly knew who was responsible for the Ballari banner violence, and that’s why, when Bharath Reddy called him, he did not receive the phone call. Instead he told Minister Zameer Ahmed to speak to the MLA and admonish him, he said.

He said that when there was a skirmish over putting up the banner, former Minister Janardhan Reddy was not in place. “But Bharath Reddy, who came to the spot, made a provocative speech, resulting in the situation worsening. Does it not come under hate speech?” he asked.

Mr. Narayanaswamy sought to know why no proper records were kept for the guns owned by private gunmen. “It was Congress workers who assembled before Mr. Janardhan Reddy’s residence, indulged in violence, assault, and opened fire, resulting in the death of their own party worker. But cases have been filed against Mr. Janardhan Reddy and others,” he quipped.