The BJP on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over the statement that the party would not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s “reputation, sovereignty or integrity”, and requested it to issue direction for registration of an FIR against her over the use of the word “sovereignty”.

Noting that a “sovereign” by definition is an independent nation, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje in her complaint said, “When a country becomes independent, it is called a sovereign country. India is a sovereign country and the state of Karnataka is a proud part in it. Till today no one raised any question about the integrity of Kannadigas with the sovereignty of the nation.”