BJP demands action against Sonia Gandhi for Karnataka sovereignty remark

08-05-2023: On May 8th, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission (EC) seeking the de-recognition of the Congress party and an FIR against Sonia Gandhi, a senior Congress leader. The BJP took exception to Sonia Gandhi’s statement regarding the sovereignty of Karnataka during the state election campaign. The BJP delegation, comprising Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav and Dr. Jitendra Singh and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, cited the Representation of the People Act and stated that the Congress party should be de-recognized for its use of the term “sovereignty” for a member state of the Union of India. The party also submitted a copy of the Congress tweet quoting Gandhi on the issue to the EC.

The BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission in Bengaluru as well and requested it to issue a direction for the registration of an FIR against Sonia Gandhi for using the word “sovereignty”. The complaint noted that a “sovereign” is by definition an independent nation and that India is a sovereign country and the State of Karnataka is a proud part of it. The complaint argued that no one has ever questioned the integrity of Kannadigas with the sovereignty of the nation until now.