Karnataka bypolls: EC files case against Yediyurappa for seeking votes with ‘casteist’ speeches
Synopsis
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa has been accused of appealing to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community to vote for the BJP while campaigning for bypolls
Bengaluru: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday said two FIRs have been registered against Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa over his speeches that allegedly solicited votes in the name of caste.
"Alleged speech made by BS Yediyurappa, chief minister of Karnataka on caste lines in Gokak and Shiruppi village in Kagwad Assembly constituencies on November 23 have been inquired into," said Priyanka Mary Francis, Additional Chief Electoral Officer of expenditure monitoring team, in a statement.
She said that two FIRs have been registered in relation to the speeches in Gokak and Kagwad. The EC’s statements said that Yediyurappa had appealed to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community in these two regions to vote for the BJP and not for any other party. The FIRs have been registered against him at Gokak and Kagwad Town Police Stations after the JD(S) had filed a complaint against him regarding the speeches.
In relation to another case where deputy CM Govind Karjol did not stop his car for checking at a check post, the ECI has charged and suspended eight concerned officials.
The ECI charged six check post officials and suspended two of them for not checking the vehicle of home minister Basavaraj Bommai at Hanakere check post on November 20.
"An FIR has been registered at Maddur police station against the driver of vehicle trailing the home minister's vehicle for not cooperating with the check post officials," said Priyanka Mary Francis.
The entire team at the check post has been replaced.
The ECI also suspended four officials of its static surveillance team for not properly checking the vehicle of Yediyurappa's son and Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra on November 25 at Varaha check post.
Karnataka will go to polls on December 5 after 17 MLAs defected from Congress and JD(S) and left their posts vacant.
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