The meals kits have been seized by the police on Wednesday night time whereas they have been being loaded right into a automobile at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad.
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association
A political controversy has erupted in Wayanad forward of the Lok Sabha elections after lots of of meals kits, suspected to be gifted to voters to affect them, have been seized by the police on Wednesday night time at Sulthan Bathery within the district.
A police group led by Sulthan Bathery Station Home Officer Byju Okay. Jose seized 1,400 kits containing tea mud, sugar, rice, and cowpea and 1,200 packets containing betel leaves, tobacco, and areca nuts from two automobiles.
The kits have been seized round 8 p.m. on Wednesday whereas they have been being loaded right into a automobile at Sulthan Bathery, following a tip-off, Mr. Jose mentioned.
The police have been investigating the case, he mentioned. The store proprietor informed the police that the kits have been readied on a non-public telephone name. Extra particulars might be revealed solely at a later stage, he added.
In the meantime, leaders of the United Democratic Entrance (UDF) and Left Democratic Entrance (LDF) leaders alleged that the BJP was behind the transfer.
In a criticism to State Election Commissioner Okay.L. Poulose, UDF candidate Rahul Gandhi’s chief election agent mentioned Congress employees had come throughout hundreds of meals kits containing rice and different groceries being ready to be distributed amongst tribal voters within the Sulthan Bathery, Mananthavady and Kalpetta Meeting segments to affect them.
He alleged that senior BJP leaders had ordered the kits and paid the distributors. The distribution was carried out with the consent of BJP State President and NDA candidate Okay. Surendran, he mentioned, including that such a transfer was in opposition to the mannequin code of conduct, and that authorized motion ought to be initiated in opposition to him.
LDF convenor C.Okay. Saseendran alleged that the BJP was trying to sabotage the election course of. “We now have complained to the District Chief Election Officer calling for stringent motion in opposition to the culprits,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, Mr. Surendran termed the allegations as baseless. It was realized {that a} devotee of a temple at Sulthan Bathery had procured the kits to disburse among the many native individuals in connection together with his housewarming, he mentioned. The assertion of disbursing kits amongst tribal voters to canvass their votes would give a improper message and it insults the satisfaction of the tribal individuals, he mentioned.
