A row erupted in Arunachal Pradesh after a minister allegedly said that panchayat seats where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party loses will be denied government schemes, The New Indian Express reported.

At an election rally in the Lower Dibang Valley district on Wednesday, the state’s Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ojing Tasing said that “government schemes will not go to those panchayat segments where the BJP is defeated”, India Today NE reported.

“Remember, the panchayat minister is making this statement,” he was heard saying in videos widely shared online. “I do what I say.”

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Local body elections in Arunachal Pradesh will take place on December 15.

The Opposition Congress said that the minister’s remark was “blatant and unlawful”. It filed a complaint with the State Election Commission demanding action against Tasing.

“This statement is nothing short of a direct threat to the electorate and a coercive attempt to influence voters through intimidation and misuse of official position,” the party said in its complaint.

The Congress said that the comment violated the Model Code of Conduct, democratic principles of free and fair elections and Section 123 of the 1951 Representation of the People Act, which classifies undue influence and threats as corrupt practices.

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The Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the polls panel for candidates, political parties and governments to follow during an election. It sets guardrails for speeches, meetings, processions, election manifestos and other aspects of the polls.

State Election Commission Secretary Taru Talo told The Indian Express that he has sought a report on the matter from the district deputy commissioner.

Tasing has not commented on the matter.

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