Ban Amit Shah from campaigning for Karnataka Assembly polls: Congress to EC

Bengaluru: Congress' Karnataka unit on Thursday demanded the Election Commission to ban Union Home Minister Amit Shah from campaigning in the state for the Assembly polls, scheduled to be held on May 10.

Talking to media persons after lodging an FIR against the Union Home Minister, State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said: "Amit Shah has made baseless allegations that if Congress comes to power, there will be communal strife and violence in the state. There has been an attempt to threaten voters that they should not vote for the Congress party."

"Is it tenable for Amit Shah, who is holding the one of the highest position in the country to threaten the people of the state? What kind of democracy is this? We have lodged a complaint against him under various Sections of IPC," he said.

Shivakumar said: "This is a big conspiracy and legal action should be taken against him. The common people were arrested for posting small things. The cases were lodged against leaders for pasting PayCM posters."

The Congress has lodged a complaint with the police against Union Home Minister Shah, BJP leaders and organisers of the saffron party rally accusing them of making provocative statements, promoting enmity and hatred between different communities.