An FIR has been registered against 12 individuals, including Mangalore City South MLA Vedavyasa Kamath, following an alleged assault on a Congress worker during a religious event at the Sri Krishna Bhajana Mandira near Shaktinagara, police said on Monday.

The incident happened late Sunday night, following which a complaint was lodged at the Kankanady police station here, they said.

According to the complaint lodged by Congress worker Yashwanth Prabhu, the incident occurred while he was assisting as a volunteer in welcoming guests for the Brahma Kalashotsava ceremony.

Mr Prabhu alleged that upon arrival, MLA Kamath confronted him, asking, “What work do you have here after throwing stones at temples?”, a remark he perceived as politically motivated.

When he objected, a verbal altercation ensued, following which a group of individuals, including Ashwith Kottari, Mani, and Jayaprakash, allegedly attacked him, tearing his shirt.

Mr Prabhu also claimed in his report that Jayaprakash threatened his life.

Reacting to the complaint, BJP spokesperson Raj Gopal Rai dismissed the allegations as false, accusing the Congress of orchestrating a smear campaign against BJP leaders.

“Since Congress came to power, there has been a pattern of filing false cases against BJP leaders, including MLAs. This is yet another attempt to create chaos at a peaceful event and blame the BJP,” Mr Rai alleged.

MLA Kamath was merely engaging in casual conversations at the religious gathering and later distributed prasadam before leaving. However, some Congress workers attempted to stir unrest, instigating people to surround the MLA, he further alleged.

The BJP further claimed that during the incident, a member of the Scheduled Caste community accompanying the MLA was assaulted by Congress workers.

“When he went to lodge a police complaint, the Congress members, fearing a counter-case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, staged a false narrative. One of them allegedly tore his own shirt and admitted himself to a hospital before lodging a complaint against the MLA,” Mr Rai added.

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