An advertisement run by the Karnataka Congress in all leading newspapers titled 'chombu' has triggered a row in the state with the BJP approaching the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the ruling party. The advertisement which has been appearing over the last few days has been titled 'chombu', which means empty promises and carries the image of an empty vessel.
In a complaint filed by the saffron party with the ECI, the BJP said: "This is to bring to your kind notice that, today, i.e. on April 24, just two days before the poll, the Congress party published totally false, malicious and defamatory news advertisements in the front page of almost all notable newspapers."
"It has published an advertisement with a heading - chombu (Empty Vessel) - along with its photograph. The word 'chombu' is a Kannada slang and is used to denote 'being cheated or empty promises'. The insinuation of the Congress party by publishing such an advertisement is to portray that the Central Government has cheated the state of Karnataka," the letter said. The party in its letter also shared some of the advertisements published in the notable newspapers.
The BJP alleged that the Congress "knew fully well the actual statistics" but has "falsely made the advertisement on the front pages of notable newspapers after severe deliberations and calculations" to prejudice the minds of the voters.
"This advertisement will have serious implications on the outcome of the election, which is violative of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representative of the People Act. The said ad grossly violates the provisions enshrined under the Model Code of Conduct," the letter added.
The first phase of elections in Karnataka will be held on Friday and the second phase on May 7.
Meanwhile, Congress Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala reiterated the 'empty promise' claim, accusing that all that the BJP-led Centre has given to Karnataka is an empty vessel.
While addressing a press conference in Hubbli, Surjewala, carrying an empty vessel in his hands, said: "All that the BJP-led Central government has given the state is this empty vessel. And, this time the 6.4 crore people of Karnataka have decided to give the empty vessel back to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections."
He reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have done nothing for the state during the last 10 years. "They hate Kannadigas and are seeking revenge," Surjewala said, calling BJP, the 'Bharathiya Chombu Party'.
He added that against the 'guarantee' model of the Congress, there existed the chombu model of the 'Bharathiya Chombu Party'.
