Bengaluru: Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar Friday defended the cabinet’s decision to withdraw several criminal cases, including those registered against his supporters for stone-pelting following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2019. At a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah Thursday, members approved a decision to withdraw 60 cases against activists, political workers, and members of the public. Shivakumar said the decision wasn’t limited to cases involving his supporters. “We have withdrawn cases against BJP and Congress members,” he said. “When I was arrested by ED, BJP purposely booked cases against our workers. Even during Covid, the BJP govt booked cases against me and Siddaramaiah and several of our functionaries.” Of the 60, 11 cases were linked to protests following Shivakumar’s arrest by ED. These cases were registered at Kanakapura, Sathanur, and Kodihalli police stations in Ramanagara (now Bengaluru South) district and involved charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. A cabinet note said both Congress and JD(S) workers were involved in the 2019 protests, as the two parties were allies then. Besides holding demonstrations without permission, party workers were accused of violating prohibitory orders and pelting stones at state-run buses. These cases were withdrawn based on petitions submitted by home minister G Parameshwara and govt chief whip Ashok Pattan. Another set of cases involved supporters of Shivakumar’s brother and former MP DK Suresh, who had obstructed govt officials during a Jan 2012 event while protesting that Suresh was denied permission to offer floral tributes to the statues of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Kempegowda. Five supporters were booked in the case, which was withdrawn on Shivakumar’s petition. Four cases related to protests in Shikaripura, Shivamogga district, in 2023 against internal reservation for Scheduled Castes by the then BJP govt were also dropped. Protesters had allegedly pelted stones and assaulted officials near former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s residence. Several other cases were withdrawn based on petitions from former home minister Araga Jnanendra, including violations during Ganesh Chaturthi processions, a ram fight, and clashes in Ranebennur (Haveri district) between 2017 and 2023. On a petition from IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge, a case at Chittapur Police Station in Kalaburagi district was withdrawn. It related to a stone-pelting incident in Aug 2019 after police seized a vehicle carrying cattle. Thirty-three people were booked in the incident. A few cases linked to protests over Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu and the Mahadayi river issue were also dropped by the cabinet.
