FIR against Karandlaje for anti-Tamil Nadu remarks, she apologises

On Tuesday, while staging a protest against the state after a shop owner was attacked allegedly over playing loud music, Karandlaje had said, “People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here (in Bengaluru), people from Delhi chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans, and people who come from Kerala are involved in acid attacks.”

The EC had directed the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to take action against the Union minister under the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and also sought a compliance report within 48 hours.

Earlier in the day, Karandlaje had tendered an apology for her comments, saying her remarks were “meant to shine light, not cast shadows” and were “directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to Rameshwaram Cafe blast”.

In a post on X, she wrote, “To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some – and for that, I apologise. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamil Nadu affected, from the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments.”

The EC reacted to a complaint from DMK organisation secretary R S Bharathi on Wednesday, alleging that Karandlaje had violated the MCC by claiming that “people of Tamil Nadu were behind the Rameshwaram cafe blast, which took place on March 1”.

“The statement attempts to promote feelings of enmity and hatred between the people of Karnataka and the people of Tamil Nadu, and has been made for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of the Hon’ble Minister. It generalised the people of Tamil Nadu as extremists, and seeks to create hostility and enmity between two communities, i.e., the Tamilians and the Kannadigas,” the DMK complaint said.

The party said the statement was a violation of the MCC provision against aggravating differences or creating mutual hatred between communities and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 section pertaining to “corrupt practices”.

The assertion made by the Union Minister was condemned by Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, who demanded action against Karandlaje for “hate speech”.

A police officer said the minister has been booked under sections 153(a) (promoting disharmony or feelings of hatred, enmity, or ill will between different religious, racial, or other groups), 295 (a) (deliberate and malicious acts that outrage religious feelings of any class are punishable) and section 123 (3a) (The promotion of, or attempt to promote, feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of the citizens of India on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language, by a candidate or his agent or any other person with the consent of a candidate or his election agent for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate or for prejudicially affecting the election of any candidate) of Representation of the People Act-1951.

Meanwhile, Kerala’s ruling Left and the Opposition UDF on Wednesday voiced strong condemnation against the alleged “hate remarks” made by Karandlaje towards the people of the state. The two fronts have accused the Karnataka leader of attempting to destroy religious harmony through such statements, a PTI report said.