Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Parmeshwar, and DK Shivakumar filed a complaint in Bengaluru's High Grounds police station against Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah as well as others on Thursday, 27 April, for allegedly making "provocative statements, promoting enmity and hatred, and maligning the opposition."
What had Amit Shah said? During a campaign rally in Karnataka's Bagalkot district on Tuesday, 25 April, Amit Shah said, "If the Congress is voted even by mistake, then it will lead to all-time high corruption, appeasement and all-time high dynastic politics, and the entire state will suffer from riots.”
What has Congress said? Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar questioned how the "Union Home Minister" can say "there will be communal rights."
He added that a complaint has also been filed with the Election Commission of India regarding the same matter.
Responding to Amit Shah's claim that "when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister, he released all Popular Front of India (PFI) members," Congress leader Surjewala said, “DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had also demanded a ban on PFI, but CM Basavaraj Bommai did not take any action. Since the BJP is losing this election, dipping below 40 seats, they have become desperate. Now they are resorting to making fake and false statements."
The police complaint has demanded the following Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections in the First Information Report (FIR) - Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 171 G (false statement in connection with an election), 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) of the Indian Penal Code.
When are the elections due? The Karnataka Assembly elections will take place in a single-phase of voting on 10 May. The result of the highly charged polls, which comes just a year before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will be announced on 13 May for the 224-member Assembly.
Defamation case against Siddaramaiah: This also comes two days after a defamation case was lodged, on Tuesday, 25 April, against Karnataka's Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah over his alleged statement on corruption practised by Lingayat Chief Ministers in the state.
Activist Shankar Sait had lodged a private complaint with the Magistrate court in Bengaluru. The court had adjourned the matter to 29 April, after accepting the petition. Further, a complaint had also been registered against the former CM with the Election Commission.
After the uproad, Siddaramaiah had clarified, "I said Basavaraj Bommai is corrupt. I did not call the entire community corrupt."
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