Bengaluru, Feb 21 (IANS): Karnataka's Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Tuesday challenged the BJP government to finish him off if they have the capacity.

"I am ready to face any consequences. It is not so easy to finish me off," he said in the Assembly in response to Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan's remarks in a public rally to finish Siddaramaiah off like how Tipu Sultan was finished.

Ashwath Narayan had later expressed his regrets over the statements and clarified that his intention was to defeat Siddaramaiah in elections.

Siddaramaiah, taking up the issue, maintained that no religion teaches violence. "I won't be bogged down with such statements," he said.

Attacking the government, he said: "Mr. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, your department is dead. You are inefficient to handle this ministry.

"Tell me the statement of Ashwath Narayan, is it not provocative? Minister Araga Jnanendra is a good person. But, he is unfit to handle the Home Ministry."

At this, Jnanendra stood up to claim that he is efficiently running the home department and "it is being run more efficiently than your term".

Siddaramaiah then said that if he was efficient, he should prove it by lodging a case against Ashwath Narayan.

Ashwath Narayan had issued the controversial statement in a rally in Mandya district. "Siddaramaiah will come to the place of Tipu Sultan. Do you want Veer Savarkar or Tipu Sultan? You have to decide. You know what Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda (soldiers who fought Tipu Sultan) did to Tipu Sultan. Likewise he (Siddaramaiah) should be finished off," he had said.

Two police complaints have already been lodged against Ashwath Narayan in connection with his controversial statement.