Karnataka Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) C.T. Ravi over remarks he made during a speech linked to ongoing protests against alleged irregularities and paper leaks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
The FIR was filed late on July 24, 2026, at the Chikkamagaluru Town police station following a complaint that the comments hurt religious sentiments and promoted enmity between communities. The case was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to statements that promote hatred or ill-will on grounds of religion and acts likely to disturb public tranquillity. The complaint came from Mudassir Pasha, president of the Jamia Masjid in Chikkamagaluru.
On July 23, Ravi spoke at Azad Park Circle in Chikkamagaluru after a BJP-backed march and protest. He questioned the involvement of Muslim religious leaders in the student-led protests over NEET issues, including demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and criticism directed at the central government.
“What does a mullah have to do with the NEET examination? Even if you tear open his chest, you won’t find three letters written there.”
— C.T. Ravi, addressing the gathering at Azad Park Circle, Chikkamagaluru (July 23, 2026)
Ravi further accused opposition parties and what he called the “Tukde Tukde gang” of fueling the protests to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and destabilize the government. He linked participants to groups opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), alleging the agitation was politically motivated rather than focused on genuine educational reforms or student concerns.
Opposition leaders and Muslim organizations described the remarks as hate speech. The Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkuta and Karnataka State Muslim Federation condemned the comments as “shocking and highly provocative,” demanded Ravi’s immediate arrest, and accused BJP leaders of communalizing a student issue. The speech circulated widely on social media, intensifying the controversy amid nationwide NEET protests.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened political tensions in Karnataka and broader debates over communal rhetoric in Indian politics. Independent monitoring groups have documented patterns of such speech linked to the ruling party and affiliated organizations.
“The sustained intensity of hate speech in 2025 was anchored in the majoritarian ideological project of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allied Hindu nationalist organizations. … As in the preceding year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliates such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal were central drivers of in-person hate speech events. … 1,164 hate speech incidents (88 percent) occurred in states governed by the BJP… A total of 1,289 speeches, or 98 percent, targeted Muslims.”
— India Hate Lab (IHL), a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), Hate Speech Events in India – Report 2025* (January 2026)
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2024 electoral campaign frequently used hate speech against Muslims and other minorities, Human Rights Watch said today. The leadership of Modi’s Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) repeatedly made statements inciting discrimination, hostility, and violence against marginalized groups… These inflammatory speeches, amid a decade of attacks and discrimination against minorities under the Modi administration, have further normalized abuses against Muslims, Christians, and others.”
— Elaine Pearson, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch (August 14, 2024 report: India: Hate Speech Fueled Modi’s Election Campaign)
“In the leadup to the June 2024 elections, political officials increasingly wielded hate speech and discriminatory rhetoric against Muslims and other religious minorities. … The government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reinforced discriminatory nationalist policies, perpetuated hateful rhetoric, and failed to address communal violence disproportionately affecting Muslims…”
— U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), country assessments and annual reporting on India
India Hate Lab’s data further notes that VHP and Bajrang Dal were the most frequent organizers of such events in 2025 (linked to 289 gatherings), with BJP figures and affiliates prominent among speakers. Similar concerns about political rhetoric and its links to discrimination appear consistently in assessments by these monitors. Indian authorities and the BJP have rejected the characterizations in these reports as biased or politically motivated. However, these findings are not limited to a single organization; multiple international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have reported similar concerns, stating that Muslims have faced increasing discrimination and targeting under BJP rule.
As of the latest reports, the FIR investigation continues. Ravi has a history of controversial statements that have previously drawn police action. The episode underscores the sharp political divides surrounding the NEET controversy and the recurring flashpoints over speech that critics say crosses into communal territory.
