Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet's decision to withdraw cases against 162 persons, including 10 women, pertaining to communal tension near Ladle Mashak Dargah at Aland in Kalburgi taluk in 2022, has kicked up a row.
The opposition BJP was quick to point out that the ruling Congress was disturbed by face-off with minority community members during Davanagere by-polls and to appease the minority community members, they have withdrawn the FIR against them, though the offenses were serious in nature.
On Thursday, the state government decided to withdraw cases pertaining to 52 FIRs filed across the state with respect to various incidents of protests and other types of law and order problems. Among the 52 cases, six FIRs were pertaining to the communal tension at Aland that took place on March 1, 2022, when Sriram Sene members tried to take up `purification puja' to `Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga' in the premises on the eve of Maha Shivaratri.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwar said that the cases pertaining to law and order problems filed by police over the years had been withdrawn as per the recommendation made by a cabinet sub-committee.
``We have looked into the pros and cons of the situation and have taken a legal opinion on the issue. At the end, we have also taken consent of the cabinet before withdrawing the cases. There are cases against Kannada activists, farmers and others, whenever they resort to protest,'' Dr Parameshwar said.
When asked about the six FIRs pertaining to the Ladle Mashak Dargah episode, where many police personnel were injured during stone pelting, Dr Parameshwar said that he didn't want to elaborate on any specific cases. ``All the cases have been withdrawn as per law and after obtaining Cabinet consent,'' he added.
The 14th century dargah of Sufi Saint Hazarat Shaikh Allauddin Ansari has been bone of contention for a long time. The dargah, which is in over 42 acres of land and there is a cylindrical shaped stone, which is being called `Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga' by locals.
In 2022, the Srirama Sene called for purification of the Linga on the eve of Maha Shivaratri. On the same day, the Muslims decided to hold a Shabab-e-barat procession to mark respect for Sufi Saint.
The police restricted the Sriram Sene leader Pramod Muthalik from entering Aland and clamped prohibitory orders. However, the then Kalaburgi MP Bhagavanth Khuba led a procession on March 1 toward the dargah.
A large number of minority community members, armed with weapons and stones assembled near the minars of the dargah. Sensing the danger, the police tried to disperse the mob, when the mob started pelting stones at the police, injuring them. The police had arrested 165 persons, including 10 women and filed FIR against them.
