New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI) The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the Karnataka chief electoral officer to take immediate and appropriate action on the DMK's complaint about alleged model code violation by Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje.

The poll panel also sought a compliance report on the matter within 48 hours.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, Supports Early End to Conflict With Russia.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has sought action against Karandlaje for alleging that a person from Tamil Nadu was responsible for the IED blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on March 1.

In its complaint to the Election Commission earlier in the day, the DMK said that the minister's statement generalised the people of Tamil Nadu as "extremists".

Also Read | Punjab Hooch Tragedy: Four Dead, Three Hospitalised After Consuming Spurious Liquor in Sangrur.

During a protest in Bengaluru on Tuesday, she had said that "law and order in Karnataka has deteriorated. People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here, people from Delhi chant 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks."

She later apologised for her remarks and said she was retracting her comments.

The Madurai police has booked her for "promoting enmity" between different groups, while her remarks had drawn sharp criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other DMK leaders.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)