After Action Against Poll Officer for Checking Modi's Helicopter, EC Inspects HDK’s Chopper, Luggage

Bengaluru: Hours before the second phase of polls on Thursday, a flying squad of the Election Commission searched the luggage and chopper of the Karnakata chief minister HD Kumaraswamy.

On Tuesday, the flying squad inspected the luggage of former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa at a helipad in Shivamogga. A flying squad also inspected the luggage of Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik at a helipad in Rourkela. Raids were also carried out overnight at DMK leader Kanimozhi's house in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi.

The move comes around the same time when an election officer in Odisha was on Wednesday suspended by the poll panel for violating protocol by allegedly trying to inspect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chopper in Sambalpur.

Taking action against Mohammed Mohsin, a 1996-batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, the EC said the officer didn't follow the protocol for checking Special Protection Group (SPG) protectees. According to EC guidelines SPG protectees are exempted from such checking.