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Karnataka elections: Violent clashes in city, Dakshina Kannada mar poll preparations
In Bengaluru, workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress clashed in the Madiwala area of the BTM Layout constituency on Sunday evening, police said.
Violent clashes between political party workers in Bengaluru and Dakshina Kannada have marred the run-up to the high-stakes assembly elections in Karnataka.
In Bengaluru, workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress clashed in the Madiwala area of the BTM Layout constituency on Sunday evening, police said.
The altercation resulted in serious injuries to a BJP worker named Harinath, who is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. BJP workers have accused Congress workers, including former Bengaluru mayor Manjunath Reddy and his son, of attacking Harinath during their campaign for the upcoming polls.
BJP leader and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya visited the Madiwala Police Station on Monday and demanded action against the accused. He claimed that two years back, a similar attempt was made against the victim, Harinath.
“I am at Madiwala Police Station now along with Harinath’s daughter. Two years ago, when a similar attempt on his life was made, FIR was filed. Guess what the BTM Layout police did? Arrest the victim Harinath himself! 7 hours after the registration of FIR, no action, no arrest,” Surya tweeted.
In another incident, BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) party workers clashed at Attur Layout near Yelahanka on Sunday when both sides were campaigning in the same locality, police said.
The BJP workers allegedly attacked and thrashed JD(S) workers for interrupting them. At least four JD(S) workers have been admitted to the hospital, while one worker sustained serious injuries and getting treated at Jayadeva Hospital in the city, police said.
In Yeshwantpur, the police registered an FIR against former BJP corporator Venkatesh G K and ten others for assaulting Congress workers during their door-to-door campaign on Saturday. The police acted on a complaint filed by Congress worker Chandrappa Jigale from Laggere, who alleged that Venkatesh and other party workers abused and assaulted them during the campaign. Jigale also claimed that his two mobile phones and a gold chain were snatched during the altercation.
In Dakshina Kannada district, a window of a car belonging to a BJP worker was smashed during an altercation between Congress and BJP workers at Belthangady on April 18. The incident occurred when Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja and Congress candidate Rakshit Shivaram reached the tehsildar’s office simultaneously to file their nomination papers. The two party workers got into an argument while passing through the Santhekatte locality, resulting in damage to the car window. The BJP workers later staged a protest and demanded action against Congress workers.
Police said it registered a complaint against BJP workers while a counter complaint was registered against Congress workers.
The police registered two separate cases under IPC section 147 (unlawful assembly, guilty of riot) 148 (riot with a deadly weapon) 341 (wrongful restraint) 343 (wrongful confine) 447 (criminal trespass) 504 (intentional insult) 506 (threatening to life).
