Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 15: BJP, taking umbrage at the use of obscene words against Prime Minister (PM), Narendra Modi, by urban development minister, Roshan Baig, filed police complaint on Saturday October 14, seeking action against the minister.

MLAs, B N Vijaya Kumar, Dr C N Ashwathnarayan, BJP city unit president, Sadashiva, former MLC, Ashwathnarayan, and president of city BJP unit, Saptagiri Gowda, registered this complaint against the minister in Malleshwaram police station here.

Narendra Modi and Roshan Baig

"Unable to tolerate the fast-spreading popularity of the PM, Roshan Baig used defamatory and obscene words against him at the meeting of Congress activists held on October 3. The utterances of the minister have undermined the stature and honour of Narendra Modi. The minister, who used the objectionable words in Tamil, transgressed limits of freedom of speech. Therefore, criminal case under section 499 of Indian Penal Code should be registered against him," they demanded in the complaint.

In the meanwhile, president of Bantwal block BJP, B Devadas Shetty, filed similar complaint in Bantwal town police station. Another complaint was given by BJP minority morcha president, Ashraf Kasile, in Sullia police station on Saturday.

State BJP president, Yeddyurappa, when criticizing Baig for the language he used against the PM, also objected to the manner in which chief minister, Siddaramaiah, addressed the union petroleum minister in singular for suggesting to bring down GST on petroleum products towards reducing oil prices. Former chief minister, Jagadish Shettar, said that Baig, who has given proof about his culture, is unfit to become a legislator. He warned that unless Baig is unseated from the ministry, his party will undertake state-wide protest.

Baig apologizes

Succumbing to pressure from various quarters and taking note of brickbats his foul language has been attracting from people from different fields, minister, Roshan Baig, took to Twitter to tender an apology for his action. "If anyone is hurt by my words, I seek apologies from them. I do not have disrespect for anyone and have high regard for the PM," he said in his tweet. "I did not use that language purposefully. I do not have hold on Tamil language. I referred to words used by merchants in respect to demonetization exercise and introduction of GST regime. People from BJP have unnecessarily created controversy on this issue by targetting me," he said.