BSY to drop cases against Cong leader

Continuing its generosity of dropping cases against political foes,the BJP government in Karnataka has now decided to drop 17 cases against Siddaramaiah,the new Congress leader of Opposition in the Assembly,and his supporters. Seen as an effort to soften opposition ahead of the budget session of the state legislature scheduled for early July,the Yeddyurappa governments latest decision follows a similar move to drop cases against BJP dissenters like the Reddy brothers that was taken last week.

The 17 cases against Siddaramaiahs supporters that the state Cabinet cleared for withdrawal relate to an agitation staged at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a hospital near Mysore in March 2007 when the JDS-BJP was in power. A total of 22 cases had been registered but an investigation by the Corps of Detectives showed that there was no substance in five cases leading to the decision to drop the remaining 17 cases as well,Home Minister V S Acharya said.

Siddaramaiah said he had written to the Government asking for withdrawal of cases against his supporters but added that these cases were insignificant compared to the cases withdrawn against the Reddy brothers and their supporters on June 18. The Congress leader in the state Legislative Council,V S Ugrappa,has threatened to launch an agitation against the BJP government for dropping the cases against the Reddys.

The government dropped several cases relating to the model code of conduct violations for the 2008 Assembly polls and a case regarding demolition of a temple against the Reddy brothers in what is widely seen as an effort to quell dissidence by the brothers who command a small but significant band of BJP legislators.

In an effort to keep them in good humour,the government has also fast-tracked drinking water and road projects for the Bellary region where the brothers hail from.