K'taka BJP moves ECI against Shivakumar's remarks on 'bringing down Vokkaliga CM'

Bengaluru, April 11 : The Karnataka BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday accusing Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar of making false, unsubstantiated, and incorrect allegations based on the caste and communal feelings of the voters.

The complaint lodged by former Deputy CM and BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan and senior advocate Vivek S. Reddy says the statements of Shivakumar may aggravate the difference among the Vokkaliga community members and the millions of followers of the Adichunchanagiri Seer.

Shivakumar recently said that neither the Vokkaliga community members nor the Adichunchanagiri Seer are dumb, nor have they forgotten how current BJP leaders like A.H. Vishwanath, Narayana Gowda, R. Ashoka, Ashwath Narayan, C.P. Yogeshwara, and B.S. Yediyurappa were instrumental in bringing down a Vokkaliga Chief Minister (H.D. Kumaraswamy).

The complaint said that while criticising the political leaders, Shivakumar violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by levelling false allegations based on the caste and communal feelings of the electorate, particularly the Vokkaliga community.

Shivakumar's allegations will have a greater impact on the common voters, the complaint claimed.

After a delegation of NDA candidates visited the Adichunchanagiri Mutt, the spiritual centre of Vokkaligas, on Wednesday, Shivakumar said the “pontiff is a wise man who will not get involved in politics".

JD-S President H.D. Kumaraswamy said earlier that the Vokkaliga community is keeping track of all the statements being made by Shivakumar and they will respond to him at the appropriate time.