Karnataka - Mysore   

Officers seize BJP’s ‘Vijay Ratha’

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Action: The BJP campaign vehicle which was seized in Mysore on Sunday.

MYSORE: Activists of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were forced to stop their campaign in the city on Sunday for sometime following objections from election officers to their campaign vehicles (raths).

The sectoral magistrates seized the BJP’s “Vijay Ratha” near the 101 Ganapathi temple in Agrahara claiming that the organisers had not taken permission from the Regional Transport Office (RTO). The Congress campaign vehicle was not allowed to proceed further until the organisers produced the permit issued to them.

The BJP activists converted a goods vehicle into a “Vijay Ratha” and it was flagged off after a puja at the Ganapathi temple. BJP MLA S.A. Ramdas, MLC Tontadarya and other leaders of the party were present.

But, one of the sectoral officers reportedly took objection for displaying a flex board and sought permission letter from the RTO since the vehicle had been modified for election campaign.

The police seized the vehicle following a complaint from the officer. In spite of attempts by the BJP leaders to get back the vehicle stating that necessary permission had been secured, the police did not relent.

In the absence of the vehicle, the leaders took out a padayatra.

Even the Congress “ratha” came under the scanner since the vehicle was also modified for election campaign. When the sectoral magistrates sought the permission letter, the organisers did not produce it, but told them they had obtained permission. After sometime, a Congress leader produced the permission letter. Subsequently, the vehicle was allowed to proceed.

The former MLA M.K. Somashekar, Mayor Purushottam, and Mysore City Congress president C. Dase Gowda were present.

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