Bengaluru: Government withdraws minorities arrest order

Bengaluru: Under fire from the BJP for "minority appeasement," the Siddaramaiah government on Saturday withdrew its controversial circulars to superintendents of police to drop cases against "innocent minorities" booked for communal clashes or other crimes over the last four years.

The three circulars were sent to the district police heads by the Director General and Inspector General of Police between Dec. 22 and Jan. 24.

But on Saturday  the Home department ordered the DG and IGP to immediately withdraw the circulars.

Home Minister, R. Ramalinga Reddy, however, countered the BJP's allegations by calling an emergency press conference and releasing data showing that between 2015 and 2017, 414 cases were dropped against 2,806 Hindus and 341 Muslims. "This shows that the government does not favour minorities," he said.

Earlier in the day, BJP Member of Parliament, Shobha Karandlaje strongly criticised the government for trying to "divide  society on communal lines," by its circular to the police.

Many Congress leaders too were reportedly against the move as they believed it could prove counter- productive in the run- up to the elections.