MANGALURU: In a major embarrassment to BJP, purported sleaze pictures of Sanjeeva Matandoor, BJP MLA from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada, have gone viral on social media. However, the MLA said he has nothing to do with the pictures and the woman in them.
Meanwhile, the woman lodged a complaint at the Uppinangady police station on Wednesday night seeking action against those who had uploaded the pictures on social media. Without mentioning the MLA’s name in her complaint, she said the pictures have been doctored and intended to defame her. A senior police officer said that a case under Sections 454(A) and 509 of IPC and 67(A) of IT Act has been registered.
Meanwhile, Matandoor has also filed a complaint with the cyber police in Bengaluru. With elections fast approaching, this development is seen as a big setback for BJP in general and Matandoor in particular. There was anger against him in Puttur after he made some distasteful remarks against a Hindutva leader just before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Puttur in February. BJP workers had taken him to task over the matter. He was also under attack over the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru last year.
There was a buzz that BJP may not give him ticket this time. A worried Matandoor was said to have knocked on the doors of prominent religious seers of the Vokkaliga community to which he belongs to lobby for a ticket.
When contacted, he said the pictures have been doctored and intended to malign him ahead of the polls. “It is a conspiracy against me and the whole incident is politically motivated,” he added.