Siddaramaiah-led govt withdrew cases against PFI workers: Minister R Ashoka
Bengaluru, Sep 3: Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Monday claimed that Siddaramaiah-led Congress government withdrew cases that were filed against 1,600 PFI workers while in power, and even released a poster titled "PFI Bhagya" with the former Chief Minister's picture on it.
The Minister released also some documents to support his claims that the previous Congress government had withdrawn cases against the PFI workers.
"PFI Bhagya" on the poster is a pun on various welfare schemes launched by Siddaramaiah government during his tenure, as most of them had the word bhagya (welfare) in their name.
"When the BJP was in power in July 2009, 175 cases were filed against 1,600 PFI and KFD (Karnataka Forum for Dignity) workers for rioting in Shivamogga and Mysuru," Ashoka said.
Noting that in December 2012 Congress MLA Tanveer Sait wrote to the government seeking withdrawal of cases claiming that the accused were innocent, he said in 2015, the Siddaramaiah government ordered withdrawal of the 175 cases despite the opinions of the Director General of Police and Law Secretary against it.
Ashoka stated that the PFI workers were trained in Kodagu, Mysuru, and Mangaluru on how to slit somebody's throat while riding a bike and how to cause riots like they did at K G Halli and D J Halli in Bengaluru.
There were even reports that retired police officers from Kerala trained them on how to kill without attracting legal action, he said.
He even demanded an apology from Congress leaders, including Siddaramiah, for having committed the mistake by withdrawing cases against the PFI.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
