Bengaluru, April 23 (IANS) The BJP lodged a complaint with Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer in connection with a protest by the Congress in the premises of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru against the Central government on Tuesday.

The BJP has also demanded the suspension of Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel.

The complaint was filed by a delegation led by Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader R. Ashoka.

The BJP said that the development of staging of protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala against the BJP and Central government should be brought to the notice of the Election Commission.

"At a time when the Model Code of Conduct is in place and the matter of drought relief is pending in the Supreme Court. In spite of this, the protest is staged illegally against the Centre to create negative opinion in the minds of voters. This is being done to get political benefit in the election," the BJP said in its complaint.

The party further demanded that Congress' star campaigner Randeep Singh Surjewala, CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar should be immediately barred from campaigning.

In a separate complaint, the BJP accused Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel of acting as per the directions of the Congress government and allowing the protest to take place on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha.

Speaking to reporters after lodging of the complaint, Ashoka said that the protest by CM Siddaramaiah is against the model code of conduct. “We have been assured of action on the complaints,” he said.

Karnataka Congress on Tuesday staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Vidhana Soudha premises, accusing the Centre of holding back the drought relief funds.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it was a symbolic protest to oppose the “step-motherly” treatment of the Centre towards Karnataka.

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