Hubballi case not the only one withdrawn, farmers', students' cases also withdrawn: G. Parameshwara
Bengaluru: "It’s not just the Hubballi case that has been withdrawn. Cases involving protests by farmers, students, and the general public have also been withdrawn," clarified Home Minister G. Parameshwara.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, "We have followed legal procedures in withdrawing the cases. If the court agrees, they will be dropped; otherwise, the cases will proceed."
He added, "We had 56 cases before us, and we have withdrawn 43 of them. These cases are not exclusively related to minorities; they include cases of protests by farmers, students, and the general public at different times. All of these cases have been withdrawn. Had we withdrawn only the Hubballi case or if all 43 cases were solely related to minorities, the BJP's allegations would have some merit. But that’s not the case; we have to look at everything with equality."
He explained that there is a set procedure for withdrawing cases. "Some have filed petitions alleging false cases, or that the applicable sections were not added, or that incidents were misrepresented. To review such petitions, a subcommittee has been formed, typically chaired by the Home Minister. We forward the petitions to the relevant department, which reviews FIRs registered at police stations and examines any flaws in evidence collection. These findings are then brought before the subcommittee."
He mentioned that the subcommittee is currently discussing the cases, including the Hubballi case, where a petition was also submitted. "It was discussed that there was no need to file cases against so many people, and the decision to withdraw the cases was made in a Cabinet meeting."
Responding to BJP's criticism, Parameshwara said, "Even when they were in power, BJP did the same in several cases. In BJP-ruled states, similar actions have been taken. For instance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had cases against him, which were withdrawn while he was in office."
Regarding Rahul Kharge’s decision to return the Siddharth Trust land, he said, "We obtained the land without violating any laws, but since they’ve accused us, we’ve returned it. BJP sees everything through biased eyes, much like jaundice making everything appear yellow."
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Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University, Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ passes away at 63
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Mangaluru: Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ, Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University Rector of St Aloysius Institutions, and Vice President of Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES), breathed his last on Friday, April 10. He was 63.
Born in 1963, Fr Melwin Pinto completed his schooling and college education at St Aloysius before joining the Jesuit order on June 20, 1981. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest on April 14, 1997.
Over the years, he held several academic qualifications, including an MA in English, a Master’s degree in Education, and diplomas in psychology and counselling as well as school administration.
He began his career in education as headmaster of St Joseph’s Primary School and High School in Hassan, serving between 1996 and 1999.
He later founded St Joseph’s Indian PU College and served as its principal until 2007. He subsequently served as headmaster of St Aloysius High School, Mangaluru, from 2007 to 2011, and later as principal of St Joseph’s PU College, Hassan, until 2012.
Fr Melwin Pinto also worked with Vatican Communications and Radio in Rome, contributing to its English desk for Asia and Indian languages.
He later served as superior and director of Fatima Retreat House in Valencia for two years from May 2017, before being appointed as superior of the Jesuit study home ‘Vidyaniketan’ in Dharwad.
He was also closely associated with the development of St Aloysius Institutions and played a key role in securing the status of a Deemed-to-be University. His contribution to the education sector and efforts towards innovation were widely acknowledged. He was known for maintaining close relations with people from all sections of society.
Legislative Council MLA Ivan D’Souza, in a statement, said the demise of Fr Melwin J Pinto was a huge loss to the educational and religious fields and had created a significant void in society.
Dakshina Kannada District in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also expressed grief, stating that his service and contributions to education would always be remembered.
Details regarding the funeral are yet to be announced.
