Bengaluru, Oct 3 (IANS) BJP Karnataka President and MLA, B.Y. Vijayendra, on Thursday met Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) M.A. Saleem and urged the police department to withdraw the FIRs registered against BJP workers for submitting Form-7 applications, while alleging that the cases were filed under pressure from the state government.
The delegation was led by Vijayendra, former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in Assembly R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former deputy chief minister and BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, MLAs Byrathi Basavaraj, S.R. Vishwanath, K. Gopalaiah, MP P.C. Mohan and other prominent leaders were present.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the DG-IGP, Vijayendra said submitting Form-7 was a legal provision available to citizens under the Election Commission’s rules and that filing objections to voter-list entries was part of the electoral process.
“Any person can submit Form-7 if there are ineligible or irregular names in the electoral roll. The Election Commission examines the application and takes action if the objection is found valid. If the objection is not justified, it is rejected. This is a normal part of the electoral process,” he said.
Vijayendra alleged that the state government was misusing the police department by registering FIRs against BJP workers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for exercising this legal provision.
He claimed that FIRs were registered after the Chief Minister and ministers staged a protest before the Election Commission and subsequently exerted pressure on the police.
“We will not remain silent. Protecting our workers is our responsibility, and we are ready to go to any extent to defend them. The cases registered unjustly against our workers must be withdrawn. Otherwise, we will be forced to launch protests, including outside police stations,” Vijayendra warned.
Reacting to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s statements on the formation of an SIT, Vijayendra said being in power did not give the government the right to use the police system at its discretion.
He accused the Chief Minister of attempting to misuse his position and said the government should stop interfering with the functioning of the police department.
“Power is not anyone’s family property. The misuse of power should be stopped,” Vijayendra said.
He warned that if the state government continued with what he termed its current approach, the BJP would launch a statewide agitation.
Vijayendra also demanded that political interference in the police department be avoided and that cases registered against BJP workers be withdrawn.
–IANS
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