Karnataka elections: FIR against BJP MLA Patil for his ‘communal’ remarks on ‘Hindus vs Muslims’

After trying to "communalise" the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections with provocative statements, an FIR has been registered against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sanjay Patil on Friday.

Bengaluru, April 20: After trying to "communalise" the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections with provocative statements, an FIR has been registered against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sanjay Patil on Friday. At a Belagavi event on Thursday, Patil said that the upcoming polls are "not about roads, water or other issues, but about Hindu-Muslim incidents".

"An FIR has been registered against BJP MLA Sanjay Patil on charges of delivering a provocative speech in Belagavi. Patil had said 'This election is not about roads, water or other issues, this election is about Hindus vs Muslims' #KarnatakaElections2018," tweeted ANI.

An FIR has been registered against BJP MLA Sanjay Patil on charges of delivering a provocative speech in Belagavi. Patil had said 'This election is not about roads, water or other issues,this election is about Hindus vs Muslims' #KarnatakaElections2018 (file pic) pic.twitter.com/Kbx1fDE2r7

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2018

"This election is not about roads, water or other issues. This election is about Hindus vs Muslims, Ram Mandir vs Babri Masjid," the BJP leader stated. Patil represents the Belagavi Rural constituency in north Karnataka.

This election is not about roads, water or other issues.This election is about Hindus vs Muslims, Ram Mandir vs Babri Masjid: BJP MLA Sanjay Patil in Belagavi. #KarnatakaElections2018 (17.4.18) pic.twitter.com/yZmGrJBs2f

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2018

A video of Patil where he was seen making the controversial remarks has gone viral on social media. Several people, including leaders of the Congress, have slammed Patil for trying to polarise the elections.

Recently, BJP MLA from Bairia, Bihar, Surendra Singh, said that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be a contest between two "mentalities"--Hindu and Islamic. "Ye 2019 ka chunav Islam banam bhagwan hone ja raha hai (The 2019 elections are going to be Islam versus bhagwan)," Singh said at a public meeting.

The high-voltage Karnataka election has been in the news for all the wrong reasons as several politicians have been busy accusing their opponents with vitriolic remarks. Recently, Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao said that people of Karnataka should throw slippers at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath when he comes to campaign in the state. An FIR has been lodged against Rao too.

The Assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled on May 12. The results will be out on May 15. A total of 224 seats are up for grabs for political parties in the elections.