Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jan 26: The state police department has reportedly written a letter to senior police officers in all districts asking their opinions on withdrawing communal and other cases booked against innocents from minorities in the last five years.
The letter has kicked up a controversy in the poll-bound state, mainly as the letter specifically mentions 'innocent minorities' and not innocents in general.
The letter dated January 25, 2018 has been written by AIGP (general) Shivaprakash Devraj on behalf of the director general of police (DGP), reminding police officers in the state regarding a previous letter seeking opinions on dropping cases against innocent minorities since 2013.
Sources said that the first letter was written on December 22, 2017, following which two reminders were sent on January 2 and January 19.
The subject of the letter reads 'Regarding withdrawing of cases against innocent minorities booked for communal violence and other cases'. The letter has been sent to the police commissioner of Mangaluru and superintendents of police in other districts.
The BJP was quick to react to the development. Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar condemned the Congress government and said that it 'exposes the dirty appeasement politics played by Congress'.
BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje accused the government of appeasing minorities. "Is this not Muslim appeasement? The Siddaramaiah government is planning to acquit people involved in serious offences, just to get votes. Nobody can tolerate this. We will fight against it," she said.
Senior BJP leader and leader of the opposition in the state's Legislative Council K S Eshwarappa termed it 'double game communal politics' by the Congress government.
However, chief minister Siddaramaiah denied that cases only against minorities would be withdrawn. "We will withdraw cases against all innocents, no matter whether they are Hindus or Muslims. We are also considering the possibility of withdrawing cases against Kannada activists, farmers and others. But the final decision will be taken after holding discussions with the home ministry," he said, adding, "The BJP is spreading lies as it is fearing yet another defeat in the state."
Home minister Ramalinga Reddy defended the letter and said that minorities include Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Muslims and others, and asserted that there was no appeasement. "The letter only seeks opinion on dropping cases against innocents," he said.