Dakshina Kannada police said a video allegedly showing pro-Pakistan slogans was distributed during SDPI celebrations in Ujire.
Police in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka recorded an FIR (First Information Report) on Wednesday after members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) allegedly raised pro-Pakistan slogans during celebrations when their candidate won in the elections of Gram Panchayat. The celebrations were held in front of the SDM College in Ujire in Dakshina Kannada and an FIR was registered at the Belthangady Police Station under 124A (sedition) and other relevant sections of the penal code. The identity of those who chanted the slogans has yet to be established.
Speaking to TNM, District Police Superintendent BM Laxmi Prasad said that a video was circulated showing pro-Pakistan slogans allegedly raised during SDPI celebrations in Ujire. He said: “It happened during the SDPI celebrations when your candidate won in the Gram Panchayat elections. But we do not know who has yelled in the crowd. “
The celebrations took place at 2:30 pm on Wednesday. “During the Gram Panchayat elections counted on December 30, 2020, an FIR was registered against some criminals in Ujire for chanting pro-Pakistan slogans,” said a press release from the police in Dakshina Kannada.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 143 (Punishment for a member of an illegal assembly), 124A (sedition) read with 149 (Any member of an illegal assembly guilty of a crime committed in the prosecution of a common object) of the Penal Code from India.
As previously reported, the counting of votes for the Gram Panchayat polls started from the morning. Officials from the Karnataka State Election Commission said the count was at all 226 centers at the Taluk headquarters by adhering to the strict COVID-19 protocol of mandatory use of face masks, social distancing and hand hygiene.
During the election, ballots were used in all districts except Bidar, election officials said.
Elections to 5,728 village panchayats had taken place in 226 state taluks for 82,616 seats. They were carried out in two phases on December 22 and 27 where 78.58 percent of the votes were registered. Up to 2,22,814 candidates opposed the election, while 8,074 candidates were elected unopposed.
.
