Six supporters of BJP candidate Munirathna, including Lakshmi Devi Nagar ward councillor M. Velu Nayakar, have been booked on charges of assault and criminal intimidation after they allegedly attacked the Congress workers during the poll campaign at R.R. Nagar Assembly constituency on Wednesday.
Former MP and Congress leader R. Dhruvanarayana told the media that supporters of Mr. Munirathna attacked party workers when they were conducting a door-to-door campaign in booth numbers 108, 109 and 110 of the constituency ahead of the bypolls.
Mr. Nayakar along with other party workers allegedly snatched a voters’ list from the Congress workers and tore it up. They opposed the checking of names of voters in the list and objected to the campaign, Mr. Dhruvanarayana and Former Minister H.M. Revanna said.
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The Congress demanded the immediate arrest of Mr. Nayakar and others who attacked the party workers and appealed to the police to maintain peace in the constituency. They demanded police protection for party workers.
The Congress workers gathered outside the Nandi Layout police station demanding the arrest of those involved.
D.K. Suresh (Congress), Bengaluru Rural MP, filed a complaint with the police demanding immediate action failing which he threatened to continue the dharna in front of the station. In his complaint, he said due to the attack by Mr. Nayakar and other BJP supporters, two Congress party workers, including a woman, sustained injuries. “Everyone has the right to campaign and seek votes, but the BJP is preventing the Congress from campaigning,” he told the media, and alleged that the BJP is creating bogus voter IDs and dropping the names of many people from the new lists.
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Mr. Suresh further accused the police of inaction, and alleged that they dispersed the Congress workers who are under attack. “I have submitted a video clip of the attack to the police for investigation,” he said.
At another place, campaigning for party candidate Kusuma H., Mr. Suresh warned the BJP candidate not to intimidate party workers and he would be taught a fitting lesson if he had not stopped his supporters from attacking party workers
Councillor denies
Refuting the allegations, Mr. Nayakar alleged that Congress workers were resorting to unethical practices and offering money. “We objected to this and even brought it to the notice of the Congress leaders, but in vain,” he said. He denied allegations of the attack. “The police are witness to the argument between both party workers,” he said.