Bengaluru, May 29 (Reporter) In a dramatic escalation of the political row surrounding the FIR against BJP MLC and Chief Whip N Ravi Kumar, leader of Opposition in the Karnataka legislative council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, on Thursday accused senior AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala of directly interfering in the state’s administrative functioning. Addressing media , Narayanaswamy alleged that Surjewala had flown into Bengaluru and pressured senior officials to take the matter to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, despite the legal grounds for such action being weak and politically motivated. "Randeep Singh Surjewala came to Bengaluru and pressured party workers to escalate the matter to the Governor. Even people within the party have told me they know this is wrong, but are being forced to toe the line," Narayanaswamy claimed. The BJP leader’s remarks are likely to ignite a fresh political storm in the state, as they suggest that the Congress leadership is using its organisational clout to target political opponents through administrative channels. The controversy stems from a remark made by Ravi Kumar during a public rally where he asked whether the Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner (DC), Fouzia Taranum, was "from Pakistan or India." Ravi Kumar later issued a public apology and clarified his intentions, but a third-party complaint was filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, prompting a police notice and an attempted arrest on Tuesday. "Despite his public apology and no caste-based reference being made, a case was registered. The DC in question is a Muslim woman, and yet the Atrocities Act, meant for protecting SC/ST communities, has been invoked. This is clearly a political move to harass opposition voices," Narayanaswamy said. Turning his attention to what he called a "broader Congress conspiracy to silence dissent," Narayanaswamy asserted that the FIR against Ravi Kumar was not an isolated case. "They first targeted CT Ravi, then came after me, and now it is Ravi Kumar. This is a deliberate and systematic campaign to intimidate anyone who dares to question or oppose the government," he alleged. He also revealed that he had filed a police complaint on May 22 after his official vehicle was attacked and ink was thrown at it. "I was subjected to verbal abuse in filthy language. The police saw it all but later told me they were under pressure from higherups. What kind of governance is this?" he asked. Narayanaswamy reiterated that the BJP would not back down in the face of what he described as "Congress' desperate attempts to suppress opposition voices". "Power is not permanent. The people are watching. And they are fed up," he said...////...