Bengaluru, 16 April

JD(S) on Tuesday approached the Election Commission over the alleged security lapse at an event presided by former Prime Minister and party patriarch HD Deve Gowda here and sought the suspension of police officials responsible for it.

In a letter to the Returning Officer of Tumakuru, the party said, on 15 April at Kunchitiga Samudaya Bhavana here, a leaders' meeting was conducted with due permission from the poll panel by BJP and JD(S) under the leadership of Deve Gowda in support of V Somanna (BJP). Somanna is contesting from the Tumakuru constituency in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"Police officials who were present at the meeting venue did not take any security measures and let women supporting the Congress inside the hall. The women managed to reach the stage where Deve Gowda was present without being questioned or checked as police failed to do their job," the party alleged. The JD(S) alleged that Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress Chief DK Shivakumar and Minister Rajanna were behind the incident. It urged the EC to take action against the "police officials" responsible for the security lapse and demanded their suspension. The party has also sought proper security arrangements in the coming days whenever such meetings were held in the state.