The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka on Wednesday to promptly address the complaint lodged by DMK regarding the alleged breach of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by BJP leader and Union Minister of State, Shobha Karandlaje.
The commission has demanded a report on the actions taken within 48 hours.
Addressing a protest in connection with the recent attacks on a mobile shop owner in Bengaluru, Karandlaje had alleged that the people of Tamil Nadu were responsible for the Bengaluru cafe blast.
She said, “People from Tamil Nadu come here, get trained and plant bombs here. They placed a bomb in the cafe.”
DMK, ruling party of Tamil Nadu, had filed the complaint with ECI over union minister Shobha
The party expressed concerns that her statement portrayed the people of Tamil Nadu in a negative light. Criticism over her statements has also come from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other prominent DMK figures.
A case has also been registered against her by Madurai City Cyber Crime Police following a complaint filed by one Thiyagarajan over the statement for inciting discord among groups
Karandlaje’s comments during a protest in Bengaluru, where she linked individuals from different states to various criminal activities, stirred controversy. She subsequently retracted her remarks and issued an apology.