BELAGAVI: The BJP MLA from Belagavi North constituency, Anil Benake, has been booked for allegedly violating COVID-19 guidelines and the weekend curfew brought in regulation by the State Government.
Accordingly, a case has been registered against Benake at Camp police station in Belagavi. He had reportedly participated as the chief guest at an event marking the coronation of Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaja as the Maratha emperor on January 16, at Dharmaveer Sambhaji Circle here, though a weekend curfew was in force.
Over 20 people had gathered for the ceremony, but none of them had masks on, nor did they maintain any social distance. When this act of an elected representative was trolled on social media, personnel from the Camp police station registered a suo moto FIR under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act 2020.
While the State Government is strictly implementing COVID norms to control coronavirus cases in Karnataka, the MLA has allegedly continued to participate in various public functions over the past few days.
Benake was the chief guest at the inauguration of a buffalo race and also at the valedictory function, which was organised on the occasion of Makara Sankranti recently. Hundreds of people had participated in this event, which was held on January 14.
Meanwhile, though a case is registered against Benake for violating norms, he is busy campaigning for BJP candidates for the Assembly polls in the neighboring state of Goa.