'Has she come from Pakistan': BJP leader under fire for communal remark against IAS officer Fauzia Tarannum

May 27, 2025 by News Desk

Senior BJP leader and Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, N Ravikumar, is facing widespread condemnation after making a communal and derogatory remark against Kalaburagi District Collector Fauzia Tarannum, a Muslim woman IAS officer.

Speaking during a ‘Kalaburagi Chalo’ protest rally on May 24, Ravikumar questioned Tarannum’s national allegiance in a public speech that was captured on video and went viral two days later. “I don’t know whether the DC has come from Pakistan or is an IAS officer here,” he said, implying that her administrative decisions were biased in favor of the ruling Congress party.

The remark sparked immediate backlash across political and civil society circles. Rights activists and opposition leaders slammed Ravikumar for promoting Islamophobia and targeting a government official based on her religious identity.

“No public servant should be subjected to such vile insinuations. This is a dangerous pattern where Muslim women in power are routinely vilified,” said activist and former bureaucrat Anuradha Mishra.

Congress leader Priyank Kharge termed the comment “deeply shameful” and demanded that the BJP take disciplinary action. “This is not just an insult to Fauzia Tarannum but to every Indian who believes in equality and secularism,” he said in a press briefing in Bengaluru.

So far, no action has been taken against Ravikumar by his party, drawing further criticism.

This is not the first time BJP figures have made communal remarks about Muslim women in official roles. Madhya Pradesh’s Tribal Affairs Minister, Kunwar Vijay Shah, recently sparked outrage for targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior Muslim officer in the Indian Army.

Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Shah insinuated that the Prime Minister had “sent a sister from their community” to retaliate against the Pahalgam attack—suggesting a communal motive behind the military operation.

The Supreme Court took cognisance of Shah’s remarks. A three-judge bench called his comments “crass” and “shameful,” and said, “The entire nation was ashamed by your words… You were on the verge of using filthy language. This country is proud of its armed forces, and your statement dishonors that.”

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the FIR filed against Shah.