BJP MLC C.T. Ravi, who is facing a police case over remarks made during a protest in Chikkamagaluru, has been accused of using a misleading and unrelated video to defend his comments.

Speaking to the media in Chikkamagaluru on Sunday, Mr. Ravi said his remarks during the protest referred to a person who had “tried to set a vehicle’s petrol tank ablaze during the protests over the NEET issue”. He played a video clip to support his claim and maintained that his comments were directed at an individual allegedly involved in a criminal act and not at any community.

However, fact-checkers have flagged that the video shown by Mr. Ravi had no connection to the NEET protests. According to them, the clip was an old video from Gaya in Bihar showing a mob vandalising an SUV following a road-rage incident. Mohammed Zubair of Alt News highlighted the discrepancy on X, questioning whether action would be taken against Mr. Ravi for sharing a misleading video to justify his remarks. Mr. Zubair also recalled that Mr. Ravi had been booked over a remark referring to a “Mullah” during a students’ protest at Jantar Mantar.

The Chikkamagaluru Town police registered a case against Mr. Ravi on charges of promoting hatred following his allegedly objectionable remarks during a protest on July 23.

When police reached his residence on Sunday to serve a notice, Mr. Ravi refused to accept it and defended his statement. The police then pasted a copy of the notice on the wall of his residence, but some of his supporters immediately tore it off.

Published - July 27, 2026 07:27 pm IST