Harish Poonja, a BJP MLA from the Belthangady seat, has been charged for disseminating a poster that labeled Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as a 'collection master', prompting the Karnataka Police to file an FIR on Friday.

Former Zilla Panchayat member Shekar Kekkedi filed a complaint leading to the registration of the case under IPC Sections 504 and 505 (2). The poster was shared on social media as a part of the BJP's campaign against the Congress, triggered by the recent seizure of a substantial sum of cash by the IT Department in Bengaluru.

The IT Department's seizure of Rs 100 crores in Bengaluru was linked by the BJP to the Congress government, with allegations that the funds were collected from contractors and other sources to finance the assembly elections in five states.

The BJP leaders resorted to circulating posters labeling Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as the 'collection master', disseminating them across various social media platforms. Among those who shared such posts was BJP MLA Harish Poonja on his social media account.

The investigation into the matter is currently ongoing.