Hubballi: BJP alleges illegal arrest of Ram Temple agitators in old cases

BJP leaders accused the Congress government in Karnataka of reopening old cases to harass the saffron party activists who took part in Ram Janmabhoomi agitation. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner refuted these allegations, saying that the arrests were just an outcome of an exercise to trace 37 long-pending cases and some absconding accused were successfully secured.

Bengaluru (Karnataka) : The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka on Monday alleged that the government is reopening old cases related to Ram temple agitation which were registered 31 years ago. The allegations were levelled after two saffron party activists from Hubballi have allegedly been arrested.

Leader of Opposition R Ashok, who spoke at Vidhana Soudha today, said that the Congress government is playing politics of hatred by arresting Ram temple agitation activists. Two activists have been arrested in Hubli after 30 years and the government of doing hate politics, he said. "I participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi protest. Are you arresting me? Yediyurappa also went to the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation. They are reviving the cases of 30 years ago and creating fear," he alleged.

However, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka K Sukumar said the police traced the accused in cases pending for long, which was a "routine" police procedure. The Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner said that in many cases the accused go absconding, because of which they remain as long pending ones. Police routinely make efforts to trace the accused in these cases, the official said.

"As an outcome of our exercise to trace 37 long-pending cases, we were successful in securing the absconding accused. These cases involve property crimes, murder, narcotics and cyber crime," the police officer said. "In one such rioting case which was reported in 1992, we were successful in apprehending one of the accused. For us, it is just another case of a riot in which the accused was absconding. We have secured them along with absconders in other cases," she explained.

According to her, in Hubballi-Dharwad region, there are more than 150 pending cases including murder and theft. "Over a period of time when we are not able to secure the accused persons or the accused are not attending court proceedings, the cases are designated as long pending cases by the court," the officer said. There is no political pressure involved. All this is a normal process in the police department under the direction of the court, she informed.

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