Congress govt initiates steps to drop cases against Mekedatu protesters

BENGALURU: The Congress government in the state has decided to withdraw the cases registered against several leaders including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, other leaders and workers for violating Covid norms when the party had taken out the Mekedatu padayatra during the pandemic. The cases were registered by the previous BJP government.

Legislative Council member Dinesh Guligowda had written to the CM requesting to drop the cases. Siddaramaiah has now responded to the MLC assuring him that the issue will be referred to a cabinet sub-committee and that he had directed the Home minister to place it before the cabinet. The previous government had registered cases against Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar, Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy, M B Patil, Sowmya Reddy, Laxmi Hebbalkar, several other leaders and party workers.

Dinesh Guligowda’s letter had highlighted that several leaders and activists who had fought for the state and language, and their families, were being put to hardship due to court proceedings. Protest is a part of democracy, but several false cases had been registered at different police stations across the state against pro-Kannada leaders, farmers and others, the letter said and suggested that the cases should be dropped.