BJP leader who threatened to behead Siddaramaiah held

The Doddapete police on Tuesday arrested Shivamogga district BJP general secretary S N Channabasappa for threatening to behead Chief Minister Siddaramaiah if he ate beef.

The police action comes in the wake of a complaint lodged by Shivamogga City South Block Congress president P V Vishwanath against the BJP functionary.

Sources in police department said an FIR had been registered against Channabassappa under IPC Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation).

A police team headed by Shivamogga DySP Ram L Arasiddi interrogated the BJP leader. In his complaint, Vishwanath alleged that Channabasappa had threatened to behead the chief minister if he ate beef at Gopi Circle in Shivamogga, during a BJP protest rally here on Monday.

“The BJP leader has clearly stated that he would kill the chief minister if the latter ate beef. It is a threat to the chief minister’s life. The statement is intended to communally divide people in the region. So, action should be taken against Channabasappa and he should be extradited,” the Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, the members of CPI consumed beef in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Raichur, declaring their support for the chief minister’s statement.

Addressing the activists, R Manasaiah, the state president of Trade Union Centre of India, said that BJP leader K S Eshwarappa had belittled the dalits and minority communities by his statments and the government should take up a suo motu case against him.