Lagatar24 Desk
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s decision to drop criminal charges against individuals involved in the 2022 Hubballi riots has sparked a heated political clash between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the latter accusing the move of being an act of “appeasement.”
On Thursday, the state cabinet approved the withdrawal of multiple cases that it deemed “politically motivated,” covering various groups including Dalit activists, farmer leaders, and Kannada activists. However, the inclusion of the Hubbali violence case in this list drew sharp criticism from the BJP.
The 2022 violence erupted when an allegedly provocative social media post, depicting a saffron flag over a mosque, triggered religious tensions in Hubbali, 400 km from Bengaluru. Following the arrest of the individual responsible for the post, a large crowd gathered outside the police station, demanding his handover. The situation escalated into violent riots, with stones being thrown and property damaged. Twelve FIRs were filed, and 158 people were arrested, including AIMIM leader Mohammed Arif and corporator Nazir Honya.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who represents the Hubballi-Dharwad constituency, accused the Congress of “appeasement” for withdrawing cases under the UAPA despite the matter being before the NIA court. “This is vote-bank politics at its worst,” Joshi said.
Former Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan also condemned the move, calling it a dangerous precedent for law and order in the state.
In response, Congress ministers defended the decision, arguing that many cases were unjustly filed and that even charges against BJP leaders like C.T. Ravi were dropped. “This is about justice, not appeasement,” cabinet minister Priyank Kharge said.
