Mysuru, May 24 (IANS): A case was registered against Karnataka BJP MLA and former minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday in connection with hate speech in Mysuru district.

State Congress unit spokesperson M. Lakshman has lodged a complaint with the Devaraja Urs police station, seeking police initiate action against Ashwath Narayan over his statements of finishing off Chief Minister Siddaramaiah - then the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly - like erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan.

The statement was made during the election campaign at Satanur village in Mandya district on February 15. The Congress leaders had lodged a police complaint in this regard on Febuary 17, but there was no action on the complaint.

Lakshman has stated in the complaint that Ashwath Narayan had given public provocation by giving a call to finish off Siddaramaiah. Earlier there was an attempt made on Siddaramaiah's life when he visited the rain-hit areas in the region.

There are possibilities of anti-social elements harming him again. The action needs to be taken against Ashwath Narayan, he demanded in his complaint.

Ashwath Narayan had stated that "the people of Mandya would achieve anything. It should begin from Mandya. Otherwise Tippu fan Siddaramaiah will come to the forefront. You decide on whether you want Tipu or Savarkar. What did Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda do to Tipu Sultan? They finished him off. Likewise Siddaramaiah should be finished off".

When it became a controversy, Ashwath Narayan sought to clarify that he made the statement to convey to the people to defeat Siddaramaiah and he never meant any harm to him.