UP CM too withdrew cases against him, says Karnataka Home Minister, defending move on Hubballi riots
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday defended the government's decision to withdraw cases pertaining to the 2022 Hubballi riots and claimed that even Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had dropped ones against him.
He was reacting to the BJP staging a protest at Freedom Park here against the
government's October 10 move to withdraw criminal cases registered against a mob which had attacked policemen with stones on April 16, 2022 in Hubballi town in north Karnataka.
This is one of the 43 cases the state Cabinet decided to withdraw at its meeting on Thursday following a petition by the Anjuman-e-Islam to Parameshwara, official sources said.
“After approving the proposal to withdraw the case, we have to inform the court. If the court accepts the proposal then the case will be withdrawn. If it doesn’t then the case won’t be withdrawn. We have to follow all the procedures cautiously. We cannot withdraw on our own just because someone said it,” Parameshwara told reporters here.
He claimed that BJP leaders too had withdrawn cases when they were in power in Karnataka and other states.
“The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (Adityanath) had cases against him. He withdrew cases against him holding the Chief Minister’s post. So many cases were withdrawn,” the Minister said.
“Whom are you accusing when the system is like that? We have done it within the framework of the system,” Parameshwara said, slamming the BJP.
He said there were about 60 proposals and the government withdrew 43 cases.
“Are there only minorities in those cases? All are there – farmers, students, and ordinary citizens who took part in various agitations. If all the 43 cases were against the minorities then I agree with them. We cannot do that. We have to see everyone with equal footing,” Parameshwara explained.
When asked about the proposal to withdraw cases pertaining to the DJ Halli and KG Halli rioting in 2020, the Minister said the government will examine them as well after following the due procedure.
“I am not the only one to decide. The Chief Minister and Home Minister alone cannot do it. There are so many brains working behind it,” Parameshwara said.
At the protest site, BJP State President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, former Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan and other party leaders condemned the government's move terming it "appeasement politics."
They accused the government of withdrawing cases against individuals charged with rioting and violence.
"Attempted murder and inciting riots are not trivial offenses, yet Congress prioritises vote-bank politics over justice," Vijayendra said.
By encouraging wrong-doers, the Congress government is emboldening anti-social elements and undermining public safety.
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Rupee falls 28 paise to 94.77 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 28 paise to 94.77 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday as market sentiment took a dramatic turn after reports emerged that the US and Iran are discussing a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at reducing tensions and reopening negotiations.
Forex traders said Brent oil prices, which had fallen to USD 98 on the US-Iran peace deal, edged slightly higher to USD 101 per barrel after investors weighed the prospects for a Middle East peace deal.
Moreover, factors such as unabated foreign capital outflows amid rising geopolitical uncertainties further dented investor sentiment.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 94.77 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 28 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated 69 paise to close at 94.49 against the US dollar.
"Markets are currently focused on the critical 48-hour window during which the US expects Tehran’s formal response through Pakistani mediators," said CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.01, down 0.01 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 101.83 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 160.24 points to 77,798.28 in early trade, while the Nifty was down 30.25 points to 24,300.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 5,834.90 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, the country's goods and services exports rose 4.6 per cent to an all-time high of USD 863.11 billion during 2025-26, up from USD 825.26 billion in 2024-25, despite global economic uncertainties, according to revised commerce ministry data.
Merchandise exports grew 0.93 per cent to USD 441.78 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 437.70 billion in 2024-25, the data showed.
