Belagavi : BJP workers led by Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil protested in Belagavi on Saturday against police cases filed against party workers who objected to the alleged inclusion of fake voters in electoral rolls.
Patil said complaints about illegal voters should be investigated by election officials, not police. He accused chief minister DK Shivakumar of creating an emergency-like situation but said BJP would not be intimidated. He said he had been assured that action would comply with Election Commission guidelines.
Party core committee members from Belagavi city and rural areas later submitted a memorandum to city police commissioner Prakash Nikam. He alleged that Belagavi police were filing fabricated cases under pressure from Congress govt and handling matters under Election Commission ’s purview. He urged authorities to establish the facts instead of detaining workers at police stations until late at night. He also questioned visits by Market police station personnel to workers’ homes, saying Election Commission officials should record their statements. Patil asked inspectors to follow the law rather than act as puppets of Congress leaders. BJP state vice-president and former MLA Anil Benake alleged that police were unnecessarily harassing party workers under pressure from chief minister despite rules governing complaints and the roles of police and Election Commission. Criticising Rahul Gandhi ’s remarks about Belagavi North constituency, Benake alleged that Gandhi lacked a proper understanding of booth-level officers and relevant regulations. He assured workers of party support.