BJP MLC C T Ravi arrested for 'derogatory' remarks against Karnataka minister Laxmi Hebbalkar

Belagavi: Senior BJP lawmaker C T Ravi was arrested Thursday amid uproarious scenes at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha after he was accused of making a 'derogatory' comment about Women & Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar inside the Legislative Council.

The police arrested Ravi from the state's second secretariat on charges of sexual harassment and insulting the modesty of a woman based on a complained by Hebbalkar. He was taken to the Khanapur police station.

Hebbalkar’s supporters, who stormed into Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and tried to attack Ravi, were detained by the police.

The saga started when Congress MLCs started criticising Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments on B R Ambedkar, which led to a din. Congress and BJP members engaged in a slugfest, forcing Council chairperson Basavaraj Horatti to adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes.

Even after the adjournment, both sides continued to trade barbs. That is when Ravi is said to have used a 'derogatory' word about Hebbalkar. The minister lodged a written complaint with Horatti.

"Hebbalkar has given me a written complaint that at around 1 pm, Ravi said to her, 'You are a prostitute,' and that he made lewd gestures at her," Horatti told the Council. "I've examined available evidences. MLCs Umashree, Balkis Bano, Dr Yathindra S and M Nagaraj have given oral statements. When Ravi was read out the complaint against him, he stated that he used the words, 'You are frustrated,' and not the word alleged. Hebbalkar, in response, stated that she stands by her complaint," he said.

"This House has always respected women. I've not come across such words being used in my long career. No woman will publicly lodge a complaint stating that such a word was used about her. The complainant and accused must introspect. As lawmakers, we must be role models," Horatti said, adjourning the Council sine die.

Ravi denied the allegations. "I've been a lawmaker for 20 years. I've also worked as a minister. It's not my culture to use derogatory remarks. I haven't done that," he said. "I don't know why (Hebbalkar) thinks I said something about her. Let videos be examined."

BJP members staged a protest inside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha against Hebbalkar's men who tried to attack Ravi. Leader of the Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said there was "something fishy" in this episode because Hebbalkar raised the issue 10 minutes after Horatti adjourned the House. "If (Ravi) made such statements, she should've raised it immediately," he said, adding that BJP wouldn't oppose any probe.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra backed Ravi. "I don't agree that Ravi passed such a comment," he said.

Umashree said Ravi accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of being a "drug addict". To this, Hebbalkar asked if Ravi can called a "murderer" after his car ran over and killed two people in 2019, Umashree said. "That's when Ravi used that word."