Bengaluru, Jun 18 (IANS): The Karnataka RTI Workers Seva Samithi has formally lodged a complaint against Bengaluru South MP, Tejasvi Surya for allegedly breaking lockdown norms after his luncheon meeting with a playback singer in a plush hotel went viral on local news channels.

The Samithi took to Twitter on Thursday by first posting a news channel's two minute broadcast clipping in which it had shown pictures of Surya having lunch along with a few supporters and Kannada films playback singer Vijay Prakash on June 15, while captioning it as -- Are lockdown norms applicable only to common man?

Following this, hours later the Samithi's founder and director Vijay Dennis also posted a copy of a complaint lodged with the Halasuru police naming Surya and the owner of Nisarga Grand Hotel on Nrupatunga Road.

It cited a news broadcast clip that was telecast on June 15 showing Tejasvi Surya and singer Vijay Prakash eating a meal at Hotel Nisarga Grand.

Dennis in his complaint charged that Surya and Prakash flouted the lockdown guidelines in Karnataka, which state that hotels and restaurants are permitted to stay open only for takeaways and not dine-in services.

"This is a violation of lockdown and therefore the MP should be booked and an FIR should be lodged under the NDMA Act and the relevant IPC sections," the complainant urged.

However, if the news is found to be fake, the complainant has also asked that a case be filed against the news channel for "fake publicity or propaganda," the complaint read.

"Public representatives like Surya and celebrities like Prakash are a mirror of the society and a mirror to the public, if the face of the country or state will violate the lockdown or any law, it will only motivate the common people in the wrong way," Dennis stated.

Karnataka is currently under a lockdown and relaxations are being announced in some districts in phases though dining services in restaurants are not permitted yet.

The police has registered a case and is investigating.

--IANS

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