Bengaluru: Amid the ongoing controversy on "Tipu remark" , Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Thursday said he meant "defeating the Congress when he appealed to people to "finish off" former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the opposition Congress like Tipu Sultan". Narayan said his statements were made in a "political context". "I didn't say that personally to Siddaramaiah. Whatever I said was in a political and ideological context. I have no personal grudge against Siddaramaiah. It takes a minute to distort what I said," he pointed out. "I am sorry if Siddaramaiah was hurt by my words." he said.
Narayan, who responded to Siddaramaiah's tweets through media and tweets, said, "Come with a gun' means the Congress party should be defeated in the elections this time. "For us, the voting machine is gun and each vote cast by the voters against the Congress is a bullet. The people have decided to hit the final nail on the Congress party in Karnataka," he said.
Read also: Followers of Tipu Sultan should not remain alive: BJP Karnataka Chief Nalin Kateel
"I have clearly said that the Congress party should be defeated. I have not said anything personally. While speaking I have kept the Congress party in mind. They are twisting my statements. I condemn this," Narayan said. He alleged that Siddaramaiah distorted his words. "Siddaramaiah, who distorted history and portrayed fanatics like Tipu as freedom fighters, took five minutes to distort my words. Siddaramaiah is mentally unstable and is getting carried away by trivial issues due to electoral defeats," Narayan said.
Before this, KPCC general secretary S Manohar lodged a complaint at the Malleswaram police station against Minister Narayan and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel in connection with Narayan's statements. The Congress delegation complained that Kateel had said that "Siddaramaiah should be beaten like Tipu". They urged the police to register a case of attempt to murder against both Narayan and Kateel.
