Hubballi, Oct 12 (IANS): A day after the Congress government in Karnataka announced the withdrawal of the Hubbali riots case, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying, "Doesn't he have any shame, respect, or dignity left?"
Talking to reporters, the Union Minister said, "They will support terrorists for votes. They won't hesitate to back terrorists. CM Siddaramaiah has made a statement in this regard while in power. That power is given by the people, and it should be used with discretion."
He further added, "Once, you (Congress) won 400 seats. What is your state now? To this day, you haven't crossed 100 seats in the Lok Sabha. The reason for this is your policy of appeasement. The soft corner for certain groups is pursued even after the residence of a Dalit legislator was burnt in Bengaluru. What did they say about the KG Halli and DJ Halli violence? To be in power, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is blindly offering total support to Islamic fundamentalist forces."
"You said innocents were arrested in the Hubballi riot case. Do you believe those who pelted stones at the police station were innocent?" the Union Minister said.
Earlier, he said: "The Supreme Court, High Court and trial courts have denied bail to the accused in this case. Despite opposition from the police and judiciary, the Congress government's decision to withdraw the case is a clear move to support the rioters."
"The Old Hubballi riot case is a fight against anti-national and anti-social elements. It's a battle to uphold the Constitution and law," he said.
The Congress government in Karnataka has decided to withdraw the cases related to the Hubballi police station riot, in which more than 150 people were charged for attacking the police in 2022.
Following a WhatsApp post on Islam, an angry mob in Hubballi attacked the police station, damaged 10 police vehicles, and assaulted a police inspector and six other officers.
The police arrested 152 individuals in connection with the violence and lodged 12 cases regarding the incident.