From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 28: Attacking the Opposition BJP for viewing every decision by the State Government through "jaundiced eyes," Karnataka Chief Minister strongly defended the withdrawal of the controversial circular issued on dropping cases registered against "innocent minorities."

Speaking to reporters after launching a pulse polio drive at his home office "Krishna” in Bengaluru on Sunday, the Chief Minister accused the BJP of giving caste and communal colour to the issue to defame the State government.
Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP leaders for giving communal colour to the issue to gain political mileage.

"Cases registered against innocent persons belonging to any religion, caste and community would be withdrawn," he said.

The Chief Minister said the Congress government was well aware of the constitutional norms and how decisions are being taken and must be taken.

"We don’t want to learn lessons in governance from a party that revels in politicising each and every issue and viewing the government decisions with a communal prism," he said.

The BJP had criticised the circular by terming it as "crass minority appeasement as part of the vote bank politics" by the Congress Government ahead of elections and the Home department had subsequently issued a revised version by dropping the word "minorities” and substituted it with "all innocent people”.

Instead of seeing cases registered against innocent persons from humanitarian angle, the BJP was giving communal colour to the issue, Chief Minister said.

"Farmers, students and people belonging to minority community participated in several agitations in the past. We are withdrawing cases registered against innocent people only," the Chief Minister said while making it clear that there was no compromise on security or relaxation in cases of serious offences.