BENGALURU: At least 30 employees of the Karnataka Postal Circle have violated the Model Code of Conduct issued by the Election Commission for the Assembly polls, by meeting BJP ministers in the last fortnight in Bengaluru and Shivamogga.
In photos released on social media, they are even spotted wearing saffron shawls and posing for pictures. The Postal department is actively involved in the electoral process with 2,000 employees, including 1,408 in Bengaluru alone, being assigned poll-related duty as Returning Officers or Observers.
The EC has confirmed that such actions violate the code of conduct and action would be taken. Photos released on May 5 by Sundaresh B Janardhan of the Bharatiya Postal Employees Union (affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) on Facebook reveal a group of employees welcoming Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at Shivamogga airport and submitting a memorandum to him.
In another video shared by one Lingesh on WhatsApp on April 24, bouquets and shawls are being handed over by the employees to welcome Minister of State for Communications Devusingh Chauhan at Bengaluru airport. The words below the video state it too.
A source recalled spotting 15 of them at the airport.
“These acts violate the model code of conduct,” Additional Chief Election Officer, Karnataka, Venkatesh Kumar said. The issue has been escalated to the District Election Officer in Bengaluru and Shivamogga, he added.