KALABURAGI: In a midnight drama on Monday, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Yeshwant Gurkar chased down a car and caught two BJP followers and handed them over to police in Kalaburagi city.
Gurkar told TNIE on Tuesday that he received a phone call when he was on night rounds, that BJP activists were distributing money to residents of Sangameshwar Colony. He rushed to the spot and found a car and some men in the locality. On spotting Gurkar, they got into their car to try and escape, and Gurkar’s car gave chase. On the way, one man hopped off the car with a bag, allegedly containing cash.
Finally, the DC’s car managed to stop the fugitives near Vidyanagar. There were two men in the car, including the driver. Gurkar said he caught hold of Shivanand Huli, allegedly a BJP follower, and the car driver, and handed them over to the police, besides lodging a complaint.
Congress candidate from Gulbarga-Dakshin Allamaprabhu Patil addressed a press conference on Tuesday and said that around 11.30 pm Monday, some Congress activists had noticed 8-10 vehicles at Sangameshwar Colony where BJP activists were going door to door and distributing money to residents. The BJP candidate was accompanying his followers. When they saw the Congress activists following them, they switched off the power.
Patil said one of his followers, Shankar, caught hold of BJP MLA Dattatreya Patil Revoor, but his followers pushed Shankar and Revoor fled the spot. Congress activists contacted the DC, who rushed to the spot and caught the BJP men. The Election Commission should consider the incident seriously and create an atmosphere so citizens can vote without fear, Patil added.
Revoor too addressed a press conference to deny that his followers were distributing money. He said they were returning home after a door-to-door campaign when Congress activists manhandled them to create fear among voters.
No complaint filed: Priyank
Former minister Priyank Kharge, who is head of the communication and social media wing of KPCC, claimed that no case was registered against the BJP activists, though the Deputy Commissioner himself has filed a complaint of a violation of the model poll code.
In a hurried press conference here on Tuesday evening, Priyank said DC Gurkar had caught the Innova in which the BJP activists were allegedly carrying cash and liquor for distribution, but an FIR was not registered. He demanded a proper inquiry into the incident.