PFI ban: Govt releases documents “incriminating” Congress

Highlights

• The BJP, on Monday, upped the ante against Congress in the state on the issue of PFI ban. A collection of documents allegedly showing the decisions taken by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to withdraw cases filed against PFI functionaries despite police opposition were released.

• Revenue Minister R Ashoka released the “incriminating” documents at a press release on Monday in the city. He alleged that Siddaramaiah was directly responsible for the rise of PFI in the state.

• Earlier, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had vehemently opposed the allegations that the Congress government had protected PFI. In reply to these claims, the BJP government has now released the official documents.

• The move is seen as BJP’s befitting reply to ‘PayCM’ campaign of the Congress.

What’s in the documents?

Ashoka said that Congress MLA Tanveer Sait had requested the then-Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to withdraw 117 and 21 cases related to communal riots in Shivamogga and Hassan districts respectively. About 1400 people in Shimoga and 300 people in Hassan were accused in these cases, in which members of PFI were involved.

Of these cases, the Congress government, in a Cabinet sub-committee meeting, had decided to withdraw 114 cases of Shimoga and 21 cases of Hassan. But the concerned District Superintendents of Police and State Director General of Police (DGP) had opposed the decision saying it was against the public interest, Ashoka added.