A government circular has become the latest point of confrontation between the Congress and the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka.
The circular, sent to district police chiefs and some commissioners of police, seeks their opinion on withdrawing criminal cases against those accused of communal violence. The BJP has alleged that the move is aimed at helping Muslims who face rioting cases, a charge dismissed by the Congress as “false propaganda”.
The circular was sent by Inspector General Police (IGP) Shivaprakash at the state police headquarters to 22 Superintendents of Police (SPs) and a few police commissioners, seeking their views on the possibility of withdrawing cases related to rioting, unlawful assembly, damage to public property etc.
Accusing the Siddaramaiah government of appeasing minorities for votes, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje said, “If this is not Muslim appeasement, then what is? The Siddaramaiah government is planning to give amnesty to people involved in serious offences, just to get votes. Nobody can tolerate this. We will fight against it.”
Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state’s upper house KS Eshwarappa called it Congress government’s “double game communal politics”.
Former chief minister and Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said Siddaramaiah has “gone into depression” ahead of elections.
Launching a counter attack on the BJP, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his government was also trying to withdraw cases against farmers and Kannada activists. “We are withdrawing cases against all innocent people, not just innocent Muslims.
We are also withdrawing cases against farmers and Kannada activists. The BJP, which is staring at yet another defeat in Karnataka, is spreading lies after lies. The circular nowhere says it is only for Muslims. It is just BJP’s imagination,” the CM told reporters.
Earlier, Several private schools and State government offices are expected to be closed on Thursday owing to the Karnataka bandh called by various organisations against the “Centre’s apathy” towards the Mahadayi dispute.
On Tuesday, the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka sent an advisory to schools that they should remain closed on Thursday and conduct full-day classes on Saturday to compensate.
The Education Department, however, has said it is up to the deputy commissioners of respective districts to take a decision based on the situation there. Bangalore University has rescheduled some of its undergraduate and postgraduate examinations. Majority of these examinations are part of its distance education programmes.
Transport authorities have said they would operate services on Thursday. Ride-hailing apps have said on social media that they would be functioning.
H.D. Revappa from the KSRTC Employee Federation, affiliated to the CITU, said services would be operational on Thursday.
However, services around Hubballi and other northern districts may get affected as the bandh is expected to be most intense there.
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) managing director V. Ponnuraj said they would follow the directives given by the State government.
Government offices and associated services are expected to come to a halt on Thursday.
The Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association, which claims to represent more than 6 lakh workers from across the State, has extended support to the bandh.
Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has extended support to the bandh. Film shootings and film shows will remain suspended.
Vatal Nagaraj, president of the Kannada Okkoota, expressed confidence that the bandh will be successful, with many government employees’ associations extending their support. “This is one way to give the Prime Minister a message that Karnataka will not be silent over the Mahadayi issue,” he said.
When asked about the politicking behind the bandh, he said, “When we called the bandh, we called it for all political parties to participate. But, the BJP has reduced it to a political fight. It just shows that they are agents of the Union government and Goa.”
