The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday agreed to withdraw 135 cases against 834 persons involved in different agitations on the statehood issue. This is in addition to the 565 cases already withdrawn against 2437 accused, according to the state textile minister, P Shankar Rao.
The government took the decision to withdraw more cases on Monday following a meeting held by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy with five of his cabinet colleagues from Telangana, including state home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, even as Congress MPs, MLCs and MLAs launched a hunger strike seeking unconditional withdrawal of all cases filed against students and other protesters.
In all, 1667 cases were registered against more than 8,400 persons in connection with the statehood agitation in all the three regions of the state between December, 2009 and September, 2010.
During the recent winter session the state government had announced that 565 cases that were non serious like staging 'rasta rokos', violating prohibitory orders and disfiguring statues, were being withdrawn.
However, serious cases like burning of public and private properties were being reviewed.
{{/usCountry}}However, serious cases like burning of public and private properties were being reviewed.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, political parties like Congress, TDP, TRS have demanded that all cases be withdrawn unconditionally, but the government turned down the demand.
Official sources have now indicated that a formal order related to withdrawal of cases will be issued soon.