Yeddyurappa in the dock for invoking Rama’s name

The Election Commission booked a criminal case against BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate in ensuing assembly polls in Karnataka for violating the model code of conduct by invoking the name of Lord Rama during the election campaign.

A criminal case against Yeddyurappa was booked after Congress party’s spokesperson V S Ugrappa lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka M N Vidyashankar seeking action against the BJP leader for hurting the religious sentiments of the people by invoking the name of Lord Rama while campaigning in Koppal in north Karnataka.

According to the complaint, Yeddyurappa had allegedly sought to promote enmity between voters of different community by symbolizing the BJP as a party of Sri Rama and Congress as a party of Ravana, who is portrayed as a villain in the mythological epic Ramayana.

Taking serious exception to the Congress party’s description in “crude religious idioms”, the Congress sought suspension of Yeddyurappa from campaigning and barred from contesting the elections.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bangalore sent the complaint to the Electin Commission office in New Delhi for appropriate action. Based on the directions of the Election Commission, the Returning Officer of Koppal assembly constituency filed a criminal case against Yeddyurappa.

The Election Commission’s directions to book Yeddyurappa for alleged violation of model code of conduct comes ahead of the second phase of polling in Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 16.