A Karnataka BJP delegation headed by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, lodged a complaint against the Congress leader for alleged divisive and provocative remarks against SCs, STs and OBCs.

The complaint stated that LoP Rahul Gandhi had endangered India’s internal security, sovereignty, unity and integrity.

Objecting to the recent speech by Rahul Gandhi at the Georgetown University, US, the complaint stated that his remarks concerning the OBCs in India were not only condescending but also profoundly offensive to the dignity and identity of millions of citizens belonging to this community.

“It is important to note that while addressing issues of caste and governance, Rahul Gandhi questioned legitimacy and credibility of the OBC classification in the country, specifically referencing the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

“His remarks carried an underlying tone of disrespect toward the OBC community, and their rights and struggles recognised by the Constitution of India, 1950, portraying it in a manner that undermined its contributions to Indian society.

“This is not only an attack on the Prime Minister’s caste background but also a broader attempt to denigrate the OBC community as a whole,” the complaint stated.

“Additionally, Rahul Gandhi during his speech has used a disparaging tone towards the OBC community. Rahul Gandhi’s statements implied a lack of respect for individuals from the OBC community, and his speech can be interpreted as an attempt to diminish the stature and contributions of an entire section of population based solely on their caste,” the BJP charged.

“Further Rahul Gandhi has even stooped to the extent of questioning the OBC status of the Prime Minister in his speech. Referring directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi questioned his OBC status while also slyly commenting at the OBC classification system in the country. This remark violates the principle of equality and incites division along caste lines, damaging the social fabric of our nation,” the BJP’s complaint maintained. “These comments by Rahul Gandhi were intentionally made for provoking discord through inflammatory remarks. The circulation of such inflammatory remarks to a global audience, particularly through social media, magnifies their potential to incite unrest,” the BJP stated in the complaint.

In light of these concerns, the BJP urged the authorities to take cognisance of LoP Gandhi’s ‘inappropriate’ and ‘inflammatory’ statements, initiate an enquiry into the speech made at Georgetown University and its negative impact on the dignity of the OBC community, and issue a warning advisory to ensure that such divisive remarks are not made by public figures in the future.

“The statements by Rahul Gandhi appear to violate several provisions of the BNS, 2023, particularly regarding promoting enmity between communities and inciting hatred, actions that are in direct conflict with India’s constitutional values. His inflammatory remarks have caused emotional distress to the SC, ST, and OBC communities, while also undermining the nation’s unity and integrity,” the BJP stated.

“India’s unity and integrity are paramount, and divisive rhetoric like Rahul Gandhi’s must not go unchecked. The necessary legal actions should be taken to address these remarks, and steps should be put in place to prevent future incidents that jeopardise the social harmony of our country,” the complaint demanded.

Former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, BJP MLC N. Ravikumar and others were in the delegation that submitted the complaint to the police.

The complaint has been submitted in the name of H.V. Manjunatha, state Vice President, BJP SC Morcha.