New Delhi, Nov 30, 2024, IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya has filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) and the Mumbai Police Commissioner, demanding strict action against Congress leader Bhai Jagtap for allegedly insulting the poll panel with derogatory remarks. He condemned Jagtap's comments, stating that such disrespect of the constitutional body cannot be tolerated. "Congress leader Bhai Jagtap called the Election Commission a 'pet dog.' This kind of abuse and disrespect towards the EC is completely wrong. Such humiliation cannot be tolerated, and strict action should be taken against him," Somaiya said. He added that he has already lodged a complaint with both the Election Commission and the Mumbai Police Commissioner, urging them to take swift action. The controversy erupted after Jagtap made a statement linking the Election Commission to a pet dog. "The Election Commission is like a dog, acting like a dog, sitting outside Narendra Modi ji's bungalow," Jagtap had remarked. His comments were part of a broader accusation that the EC and other agencies were being misused by the ruling Central government. "All the agencies that were created to strengthen our democracy have now become puppets, acting under the influence of Narendra Modi ji," he added. Jagtap further claimed that these institutions, which were once meant to protect and uphold the integrity of democracy, were now being manipulated. He pointed to the ongoing developments in Maharashtra and across the country as evidence of how the system was being exploited to serve political interests. Earlier, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole had accused the EC of tampering with voter data during the recently- concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections. In a letter to the Election Commission, Patole questioned the sudden increase in voter turnout by 7.83 percentage points after the official polling time had ended, suggesting possible manipulation.