Bengaluru: The Congress on Tuesday complained to the Election Commission against Karnataka's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy for appealing to voters "on caste lines" in Vijayanagara constituency ahead of the Assembly bypolls. According to the Congress complaint, Madhuswamy, at a meeting of the Lingayat community in Hospet on Monday, said that "B.S. Yediyurappa has to continue as the Chief Minister. That is why our community people have to vote enmasse for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)".

In its petition, the Congress said the meeting was also attended by Housing Minister V. Somanna, Koppal MP Sanganna Karadi, Bellary MP Devendrappa and BJP's Vijayanagara candidate Anand Singh. The party claimed that Madhuswamy also said that "our community has been facing a lot of problems in old Mysuru area. Only occasionally we will get opportunities to become Chief Ministers and head the government" and Yediyurappa managed to become the Chief Minister "only with the sacrifice and support of people like Singh and 16 others".

Madhuswamy said it is will be a slap in the face of Yediyurappa if the Lingayat community does not vote in his favour, and it will not get power for another 20 years if Yediyurappa is brought down, the Congress added, enclosing a report of the meet appearing on Tueday's Kannada newspaper Prajavani.

According to the party, the minister's "casteist appeal" violates section 125 of the Representation of People's Act 1951 and section 153 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).