New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has directed the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to take immediate appropriate action on the complaint of DMK against the alleged violation of MCC by BJP leader and Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje while addressing reporters in Bengaluru.


The BJP minister had triggered a row when she said that “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”.

 

Earlier, the DMK, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu, had approached the Election Commission (EC) against Shobha Karandlaje. In the complaint to EC, DMK alleged that Karandlaje and BJP violated Sections 123(3A) and 125 of the RP Act, as well as the Model Code of Conduct. 


A letter by DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi to Chief Election Commissioner said, "The socially divisive statement made by the Hon'ble Minister has significantly harmed the relations between the two communities, and has led to animosity and hatred between them, which has been further amplified by social media and electronic print media. The statement also tantamounts to hate speech."


"The Hon'ble Minister has promoted enmity and caused immense tension between the people of Tamil Nadu, who have been alleged to be the culprit behind planting the bomb at the café in Bangalore, and the people of Karnataka, who were the victims of the bomb blast," it said.


Meanwhile, the complaint came even after Shobha Karandlaje issued an apology to the people of Tamil Nadu.


Taking to X, Shobha Karandlaje said, "To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some - and for that, I apologize. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamilnadu effected, From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments."