A Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation on Friday, 2 October submitted a memorandum to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, demanding the registration of FIRs and arrest of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues over a protest staged on the premises of the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office in Bengaluru. The BJP alleged the demonstration violated a standing Supreme Court order restricting protests to designated venues.

The Delegation and Its Demands

The BJP delegation was led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, MP P.C. Mohan, MLC C.T. Ravi, and several other senior party leaders. The memorandum was formally titled: 'Objection to allowing the Chief Minister and ministers to stage a protest on the premises of the State Chief Electoral Officer's office in violation of the Supreme Court order.'

The party demanded that police immediately register FIRs against the Chief Minister and the ministers involved, initiate arrest proceedings, and make public the CCTV footage, permission letters, police security deployment details, and action-taken reports related to the protest.

What the BJP Alleges

Ashoka stated, 'I am registering my serious objection to the incident in which Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues, along with party leaders, staged a protest at the CEO's office. This is a serious development.' He pointed out that the Supreme Court, in a PIL hearing before a bench headed by the Chief Justice, had explicitly barred protests and dharnas at locations other than the designated Freedom Park premises in Bengaluru.

'Chief Minister Shivakumar and his colleagues have shown disregard for the court order. Staging a protest on the premises of the CEO's office without permission is a clear violation of the Supreme Court's order,' Ashoka added. He further argued that the Election Commission is an independent constitutional institution, and allowing a 'politically motivated protest' on its premises undermines its authority and public trust.

Contempt of Court Allegation

Chalavadi Narayanaswamy went a step further, characterising the protest as contempt of court. 'This is a clear case of violation of the Supreme Court directive and amounts to contempt of court. Against this backdrop, we demand that FIRs be registered against the Chief Minister and ministers and that they be arrested,' he said. Narayanaswamy also questioned who authorised the protest on Election Commission premises, asking whether written permission had been granted and, if so, whether those records would be made public.

He raised a pointed question about equal treatment: 'Will the police department permit opposition parties or members of the public to stage similar protests on the premises of the Election Commission?' — implying differential application of law.

Broader Political Context

The confrontation reflects deepening friction between the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) government and the BJP in Karnataka ahead of local electoral cycles. The BJP's move to formally approach the Police Commissioner — rather than issue a press statement alone — signals an intent to create a legal paper trail. Notably, the involvement of senior figures including a sitting MP, multiple MLCs, and the Leader of Opposition from both Houses lends institutional weight to the demand.

The police department has yet to respond publicly to the memorandum. How Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh chooses to act — or defer — on the FIR demand is expected to draw further scrutiny from both parties in the coming days.