Congress files police complaint against Amit Shah for promoting enmity and hatred

The Congress party on Thursday filed a police complaint against the Union Home Minster and BJP leader Amit Shah in Bengaluru's High Ground Police Station for making hateful and provocative statements.

Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Parmeshwar and DK Shivakumar filed the complaint against Shah for allegedly making "provocative statements, promoting enmity and hatred and maligning the opposition".

Addressing a rally in Karnataka's Belagavi district on Tuesday, Shah said that the development of the state will be on the "reverse gear" if the Congress forms the government.

"If the Congress comes to power, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high and Karnataka will be afflicted with riots," the Home Minister had said.

Congress alleged that false motives were attributed to the Congress and its leadership, and this was punishable under IPC 1860 and the representation of the people act 1951 among others.

"Wantonly making provocative statements, promoting enmity, hatred, and ill-will between different groups and classes, making deliberate and knowingly false statements, threatening electors to vote in favor of BJP, and maligning the principal opposition party, ie the Indian National Congress," reads the complaint filed by Congress.

Two statements that the complaint draws attention to as being "false", "malicious" and "dangerous" claims include:

1. "Sri Siddaramaiah, former Chief Minister of Karnataka had released all PFI workers who had earlier been kept in custody, and it was the BJP government who had to locate and jail them again."

2. "The Indian National Congress has given an election promise that if it is elected to for the government of Karnataka, it shall life the ban issued against the PFI."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Shah's comment was an insult to the State and its people.

“Never ever has Karnataka seen such things before! It is a disrespect to Kannadigas. Does it mean we are rioters? How can he say like this, being the Union Home Minister? We will question this and register a complaint with the Election Commission and with the court,” Mr. Kharge said.