Mangalore: Congress violated election code at Kalladka - BJP
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, Mar 9: The district BJP on Sunday March 9 alleged that the Congress had violated the election code of conduct by organizing its convention at Kalladka on Saturday March 8. It also blamed the Congress for the clashes that erupted between Sangh Parivar members and Congress partyworkers during the programme.
Addressing a press meet here on Sunday March 9, district BJP president Pratap Simha Nayak held Congress responsible for clashes and said, "The Congress violated the election code of conduct on the very day the deputy commissioner announced details regarding the elections. By holding the convention, the Congress disrupted peace and the district BJP will take up the matter with the election commission."
On Congress member Chandraprakash Shetty's comments against RSS leader during the convention that sparked the clashes, Nayak said, "Defaming individuals by itself is a violation of the model code of conduct. Rukmayya Poojary (former MLA) and I have already visited the spot of the incident and also met the IGP and the police commissioner in this regard.
"We have a video footage of the defamatory speech. The Congress deliberately organized the convention to criticize Dr Prabhakar Bhat. Their purpose is to ensure that the elections do not go on peacefully. Kalladka is a sensitive place and there is no proper security arrangement. Police failed to take control of the situation. They in fact arrived one-and-a-half hours late to the spot," he added.
"The people of Kalladka and surrounding places are living in fear. Congress is trying to play politics of hate, as they fear losing the elections," he further said.
"The district BJP strongly condemns the incident. In two days we will submit the evidence (of violation of model code of conduct) to the election commission. We urge the authorities to take action and investigate the matter.
He also alleged that the incident was a 'conspiracy' by the Congress to provoke BJP members so that the latter would be arrested in the name of creating communal disharmony.
It is said that the police have arrested four persons in connection to the clashes, all of them BJP members.
When asked if BJP held the entire Congress party or only the individuals who spoke at the convention as responsible for the incident, he said, "Though it was Chandraprakash Shetty who defamed Dr Prabhakar Bhat in his speech, district incharge minister (Ramanath Rai) and others also shared the dais. Hence all of them violated the model code of conduct."
Rukmayya Poojary addressing reporters said, "They (Congress members) defamed Dr Prabhakar Bhat and addressed him in a patronising manner. Hence the people got upset and pelted stones. The police arrived one-and-a-half hours late. The four BJP party workers who have been arrested were not part of the incident."
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Capt Ganesh Karnik and Monappa Bhandary were present.