Bengaluru, (DHNS): The BJP on Friday filed a petition with the Bengaluru police commissioner against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao for branding members of the BJP and the RSS as terrorists.

The complaint was filed by a delegation led by party spokesperson and MLA S Suresh Kumar. The party has sought that Siddaramaiah and Rao be booked under section 153A of the IPC for defamation and spreading enmity between citizens.

The complaint states that Siddaramaiah has misused his position as chief minister to spread "blatant falsehood" against the BJP with an ulterior motive of reaping political gains. "Both Siddaramaiah and Rao knowingly made irresponsible statements to malign a national party like the BJP," the complaint stated.

It stated there was complete law and order breakdown in the state. Scores of BJP and RSS workers had been murdered. "In this regard, the BJP has been asking the government to take appropriate action against the perpetrators of terror. Instead of taking prompt and proper action against to reign in on terror elements, Siddaramaiah is shrugging off the responsibility by falsely alleging terror link to the BJP."

Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function, Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar said Siddaramaiah terming a BJP member terrorist, violated the tenets of the Constitution and was a punishable offence.

The BJP has reiterated its demand that Siddaramaiah and Rao tender an unconditional public apology for their statements.