Govt to withdraw cases against Hindu activists?

The state government is said to have discussed withdrawing cases filed against Hindu activists, following petitions by two BJP legislators urging Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to do so.

BJP MLAs KG Bopaiah and Roopali Naik have, in their petitions, asked Yediyurappa to withdraw cases that were filed against Hindu activists under the Siddaramaiah-led Congress rule. Several persons were booked for disrupting law and order during protests against Paresh Mesta's death and Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

The Yediyurappa-led Cabinet is yet to take a formal decision, but BJP's former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa took to Twitter to compliment Yediyurappa for withdrawing "false and politically motivated complaints filed against innocent Hindus." The Hindu Janajagruti Vedike also welcomed the decision. But official sources maintained that though discussions have been held, the proposal has not come before the Cabinet yet.

Reacting sharply, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “This shows how the BJP views society. The Paresh Mesta and Tipu Jayanti have no impact on the life of the common man.”

He said the CBI was yet to conclude its two-year-long probe in the Mesta case. “No one knows what happened till date,” he said. “But the BJP used both cases for political gains. Mostly BJP and Sangh Parivar workers were involved in disrupting law and order. The police must be given a free hand."