On Tuesday, M.R. Ravi Kumar, the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, has declared a decree that forbids political groups and their members from conducting banquets without the consent of the relevant authorities. The ruling has been put into effect in the lead-up to the Assembly elections.
Mr. Kumar strongly warned that any breach of the imposed regulations would not be tolerated and would be subject to legal action. He declared that if any banquets were held in violation of the guidelines, the requisite departments, including local bodies, police, excise, and health, would be forced to initiate action against the offenders under the Food Safety and Standards Act and Section 171 of the Indian Penal Code, which encompasses IPC 371 related to bribery and undue influence during elections.
In response to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, electoral officers have been given the directive to implement strict action against banquets, incentives, and other tactics of enticing individuals in the lead-up to the elections. Consequently, any attempts to sway voters with household items and such shall be met with severe repercussions.
He directed the local bodies to take swift action against any unapproved display of banners and buntings in cities and rural areas, as per the terms of the Karnataka Open Places Disfigurement Act, and to submit a daily report to him.
Following the conclusion of public meetings, the local governing bodies should request that the organizers remove all banners and buntings.
The District Council expressed regret that the local authorities had not taken action against the violation of the Open Spaces Disfigurement Act on regular days, despite the Act being in force. This has had negative repercussions for the administration. Furthermore, mass feeding could endanger people’s health and security, as well as disrupt the law-and-order situation in the district.
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