Lok Sabha Election 2024: Congress Lodges Complaint Against JP Nadda and Amit Malviya for Alleged Intimidation of Voters in Karnataka

Congress on Sunday filed a complaint against BJP chief JP Nadda, BJP state president BY Vijayendra and the party's social media in-charge Amit Malviya over a video posted by the saffron party's Karnataka wing on their social media For allegedly intimidating members of Schedule caste or tribe to not vote for a particular candidate with an intention to create feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will against members of SC/ST community and violating model code of conduct by using animated video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah by portraying Congress party as favouring a particular religion and suppressing members of SC/ST and OBC community," the Congress complaint read.

The grand old party in its complaint said that the saffron party violated model code of conduct by using animated video of Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, by portraying congress party as favouring a particular religion and supressing members of SC/ST and OBC community," the complaint read.

The video suggested that Gandhi was planting another egg, representing the Muslim community, which subsequently ousted the SC, ST, and OBC communities.

"I have carefully gone through the manifesto of the Congress party, and nowhere has it been mentioned that allocations of funds to the SC/ST and OBC communities will be cut and the same will be made over to the Muslim community." The BJP has been falsely accusing that the Congress party will include Muslims in the OBC category, and with such false propaganda, it has been soliciting votes during Lok Sabha Elections," the Congress leader in his complaint said. 

He added, "As such, the intent of posting a video by the BJP on its official X handle appears to be to seek votes in Lok Sabha elections by projecting the Congress party as favoring the Muslim community. However, the act of BJP National President JP Nadda, BJP social media in-charge Amit Malviya, BJP state president BY Vijayendra, and BJP social media in-charge Karnataka is to portray the SC and ST communities in a derogatory manner, and the act showing the SC and ST communities being kicked by another religion, Muslim, is with the intent to prevent or intimidate the members of the Schedule caste or tribe to not vote for a particular candidate, attracting offense. It is clear that the video social media post by the aforesaid persons is to intimidate members of the SC St. community not to vote for the Congress party by projecting that the funds reserved for them will be usurped by Muslims," he added. 

Moreover, in his letter to the ECI, the Congress leader emphasized that the video  promoted feelings of enmity, hatred, and ill will against members of the SC/ST community, attracting offenses punishable under Section 3(u) of the SC/ST PoA Act 1989.

Meanwhile, the complaint by the Congress comes in line with 16 other complaints registered by the party against the BJP, including the use of religious symbols during the campaign and the uncontested victory of a BJP candidate from Gujarat. Earlier, a delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi also flagged recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that "used religion to ask voters to refrain from voting for the INC."

The important complaint deals with the extremely objectionable comments of no less than the Chief Executive of this government. Unfortunately, the statement we have quoted is seriously, ridiculously objectionable. We pray to him (PM Modi) with folded hands to withdraw this statement and to clarify... He has named a community, spoke about religion blatantly, spoke about communal and community blatantly, and clearly violated Section 123. Regardless of the status of the person who has done this, appropriate action, as in any other case, will and must follow shortly," Singhvi said.