Cops acting as Cong's puppet: BJP to K'tka poll panel chief

The BJP today complained to the state poll panel's chief that the police were acting like the ruling Congress' "puppet," harassing and implicating its party workers in criminal cases in the run up to the May 12 assembly polls.

In its memorandum to Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar, the saffron party also complained of 'rigid and arbitrary" interpretation of the Model Code by poll panel's officials and said it was creating problems for them.

A BJP delegation, including Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ananthkumar and party general secretary P Muralidhar Rao met CEC and submitted the party's memorandum to him.

Accusing police of harassing BJP workers and its others sympathisers, the memorandum said false cases were being lodged against them.

"The Police Department is acting as a puppet of the ruling Congress party, arresting several right wing activists. No action has been taken against the biased officials," it said.

The BJP petition also referred to the implementation of the election code of conduct with "rigid and arbitrary interpretation."