The Election Commission on Wednesday directed action against Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje for her ‘Tamilians’ remark following a complaint filed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over Karandlaje’s recent controversial statement.
The development comes hours after the Union Minister apologised for her remarks over the deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu after the March 1 blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru.
The EC forwarded a copy of the complaint it received from DMK organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi earlier on Wednesday asked the CEO to “ensure that immediate appropriate action may be taken on the complaint in accordance with Model Code of Conduct.” The EC asked for a compliance report within 48 hours.
Karandlaje slammed the Congress government in Karnataka and claimed that people from Tamil Nadu plant bombs in the state. Her remark triggered outrage in the state prompting a quick response from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
“To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some – and for that, I apologize. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamil Nadu affected, From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments,” Karandlaje said in a post on ‘X’.
Kerala’s ruling Left and the Opposition UDF on Wednesday voiced strong condemnation against the alleged “hate remarks” made by Karandlaje towards the people of the state. The two fronts have accused the Karnataka leader of attempting to destroy religious harmony through such statements.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan, has demanded an apology from the Union Minister, while senior Left leader and CPI state secretary Binoy Viswom has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the hate remarks made by the BJP leader.
Their statements came a day after the Union Minister, during a BJP agitation in Bengaluru, claimed that people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks in Karnataka.
