Shobha Karandlaje booked for MCC violation

The poll panel also sought a compliance report on the matter within 48 hours.

Bengaluru: The Cottonpet police in western Bengaluru has registered a case against BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje over her statement during a recent protest in Central Bengaluru. The FIR was registered on Thursday following a complaint by the District Election Officer (DEO).

Karandlaje, the BJP’s sitting MP from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru who is contesting from Bangalore North in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, was booked under Sections 123 (3A) (the promotion of, or attempt to promote, feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of the citizens of India on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language, by a candidate or his agent or any other person with the consent of a candidate or his election agent for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate or for prejudicially affecting the election of any candidate), 125 (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) and 123 (3) (The appeal by a candidate or his agent or by any other person with the consent of a candidates or his election agent to vote or refrain from voting for any person on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language or the use of, or appeal to religious symbols or the use of, or appeal to, national symbols, such as the national flag or the national emblem, for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate or for prejudicially affecting the election of any candidate) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act.

On Tuesday, Karandlaje was part of a large protest by the BJP against the assault of a shopkeeper in Siddanagalli in Central Bengaluru.

“People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here (in Bengaluru), people from Delhi chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks,” the MP said during the protest, adding that the law and order situation in Karnataka had deteriorated.

Karandlaje later apologised on X (formerly Twitter) and retracted her statement. Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) objected to the remark and its organising secretary, R S Bharathi, sought action.

“It (the statement) generalises the people of Tamil Nadu as extremists and seeks to create hostility and enmity between two communities, Tamilians and Kannadigas. The allegations made in the statement are of a grave nature and have the potential to engender violence against the Tamil community,” Bharathi said in his petition.

The ECI on Wednesday directed the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to address the complaint and submit a report in 48 hours.