CM told to file objections in ABVP case

The Vacation Bench of the High Court on Friday directed the chief minister, chief secretary, DG&IGP and the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to file objections in connection with a PIL petition over the withdrawal of criminal cases against ABVP activists and two sitting legislators.

The Court also ordered the issuance of notices to two sitting legislators, and sought directions to the chief minister to rescind the Cabinet decision taken on September 6, dropping criminal cases against the activists and legislators.

A Division Bench headed by Justice Anand Byrareddy ordered notices to Kampli legislator T H Suresh Babu and Kunigal legislator B B Ramaswamy Gowda. The legislators have also been directed to file objections in the case.

The petitioner, Amrutesh N P, has argued that the ABVP is  part and parcel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and described it as the party’s student wing.

“With an eye on the elections, the State cabinet took a decision on September 6 and November 11 to withdraw all cases registered against ABVP members at Chitradurga and Tumkur,” he said and added that the decision to withdraw the case against the legislators was taken hastily owing to political polarisation in the State.

He also said that the cabinet meeting in September had approved the withdrawal of eight cases registered in Dharwad, Raichur, Chikkaballapur, Bidar and Haveri districts against ABVP activists, after failing to give proper reasons for doing so.

The cases were booked in the last three years and pertained to the vandalising of public property, the disruption of universities’ academic council meetings and the manhandling of policemen on duty.