Riots cases to be withdrawn only after court nod: Siddaramaiah
Siddaramaiah’s remarks came in response to a planned agitation by the BJP leaders, who opposed clemency to some accused involved in the 2022 Hubballi riots
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday defended the state government’s decision to withdraw cases against some people who were accused of rioting in Old Hubballi, terming the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) planned protest against the move as “baseless”.
Speaking at Hubballi airport, Siddaramaiah said that the cases would be withdrawn only after the court’s approval. “The cabinet has taken the decision to withdraw 43 cases based on the recommendations of a cabinet sub-committee, which reviewed them and found several of them to be false,” he added.
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Pointing out that this practice of reviewing and withdrawing cases existed during the BJP’s rule as well, he said: “The BJP themselves withdrew numerous cases during its tenure. So, their current protest is completely without merit.”
Siddaramaiah’s remarks came in response to a planned agitation by the BJP leaders, who opposed the state cabinet’s decision to grant clemency to some accused involved in the 2022 Hubballi riots. During the riots, which took place on April 16, 2022, a mob hurled stones at police personnel. The Congress-led government’s decision to drop charges against some of those accused has sparked criticism from the BJP, with Union minister Pralhad Joshi accusing the Congress of appeasement politics.
In a sharp rebuke, Siddaramaiah fired back at Joshi, calling him a “terrorist” for his remarks labelling the Congress as supporters of terrorism. “Pralhad Joshi himself is a big terrorist. He is making baseless accusations. The cases we are withdrawing include those against BJP leaders as well,” the CM said.
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Siddaramaiah clarified that the withdrawal of cases would be subjected to court approval. “If the court agrees, we will proceed with the withdrawal. Otherwise, we cannot,” he explained, underscoring the procedural nature of the decision.
He also took aim at the BJP’s broader protest strategy, accusing the party of raising false issues to stir unrest. “The BJP only protests on baseless issues. This is yet another example of their attempt to mislead the public for political gain,” he said.
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Following Siddaramaiah’s statements, a group of BJP leaders staged a protest, waving black flags at the CM on the Airport road in Hubballi. Police detained several activists, including Jagadish Kambali and Manjunath, though they were later released, according to authorities.
The political back and forth between the Congress and BJP intensified further after Joshi’s reaction to Siddaramaiah’s “terrorist” comment. The Union minister hit back, accusing Siddaramaiah of losing his “mental balance” and needing “mental treatment.”
Speaking to reporters, Joshi said, “Siddaramaiah is clearly distressed. Power comes and goes in politics, but his remarks show he has lost his composure.”
Joshi further criticised the Congress government’s decision to withdraw charges against the rioters, calling it the “height of appeasement.” He pointed to the high court’s critical response to the government’s actions, stating, “The high court has already reprimanded the government. Siddaramaiah is clearly scared of losing power.”