Mangaluru: The election officials are harassing the common man in the name of the Model Code of Conduct. In regard to this issue, MLC Ivan D’Souza on April 16, informed that he would file a complaint with Election Commission and bring Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner’s attention to this issue.

Ivan was speaking at a press meet at the district Congress office and said, “In my political experience of 30 years, I have never seen such attitude displayed by the election officials. The officers are unnecessarily harassing the people.”

“An organization complained that the officials intervened at an eye testing camp held by it and prevented it from distributing spectacles prescribed by the doctors,” he explained on a recent incident.

Such overzealous action has caused a lot of suffering to the common man who is not even permitted to peacefully hold a private function, Ivan observed. He also alleged that the officials were expecting the people to not to invite politicians to functions.

The MLC spoke about the elections to be held on May 12, and said that the election was a battle between truth and lies, dictatorship and democracy, ugly rich and abjectly poor, divisive forces and uniting forces.

He replied to a query on Moodbidri Constituency ticket being given to Abhayachandra Jain and said, “I had put forward my name as he (Abbaychandra Jain) had said that he will not contest elections this time. Now party has given ticket to all sitting MLAs and I will abide by the party’s decision. I have worked to create favourable climate for Congress Party and its candidate in Moodbidri.

The network that I have established there will help him to win the election. If he (Jain) wants me to work full time for his constituency, I am ready for that too. ”

Ivan condemned Kathua rape and murder incident and said that the Congress Party will hold protests on April 17th in all the taluks.