The Hindu
BANGALORE, Mar 21: The controversy over the Hindu Samajotsava being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad ahead of the Lok Sabha elections took a new turn with the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) seeking a report from the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police on the allegations of violation of the model code of conduct at these conventions.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday expressed moral support to the Samajotsava and declared that these conventions would go on according to schedule.
CEO M.N. Vidyashankar told presspersons here on Friday that action regarding complaints pertaining to the violation of the model code of conduct would be taken based on the police report.
He said the Samajotsava had been videographed by the Election Commission.
The Opposition parties, particularly the Janata Dal (S), have taken exception to the Samajotsava while contending that seeking votes on the basis of religion amounts to violation of the model code of conduct. The JD (S) has filed a complaint in this connection with the CEO.
The Janata Dal (S) and the Congress have taken exception to the incidents of communal violence in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi following the Samajotsava in Mangalore .
The BJP said the Opposition were trying to use the issue to divide the people on the lines of religion.