‘Cases against minorities to be withdrawn soon’

DHNS

• Justice Saldanha tells media persons quoting Home Minister

 

Mangalore, 24 March 2011: High Court retired Judge Justice Michael F Saldanha said that Governor H R Bharadwaj has recommended the government to withdraw 338 false cases filed against the victims of church attacks, particularly belonging to minority community within a month.

 

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, he said that Home Minister Ashok has already confirmed that the withdrawl will be done within few days.

 

 

Stating that he had presented ‘People’s Enquiry Tribunal Report’ on the atrocities committed against minorities to the Prime Minister, Vice-Presidemt Hamid Ansari, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Minister for Minorities Salman Khurshid and Governor H R Bharadwaj, Justice Saldanha said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given special assurance to the citizens of the State that the Central government will ensure the welfare and security of all citizens particularly those belonging to the minorities and the weaker sections of the coastal Karnataka.

 

He said that Vice-President Hamid Ansari expressed deep regret  over the use of violence against the minorities and particularly their places of worship and that it will be effectively curtailed.

 

On his meeting with Home Minister P Chidambaram, Justice Saldanha said that the Union Home Minister was concerned about the security in the coastal region and that it needs to be stepped up both externally as well as internally so that the life of people living in the region improves. He has even assured that if required, Central forces would be deployed to safeguard the interests of the minorities, as was done in Mysore, Saldanha said.

 

Minorities Minister Salman Khurshid had come out strongly against communal violence perpetrated by police, state administration and communal elements. He stated that his Ministry will go all out to enforce the Constituional guarantees and combat human rights infringements, Justice Saldanha added.

 

Justice Saldanha said that 12,817 persons belonging to minority communities were arrested across Karnataka with regard to the church attacks. However, the cases registered against the ‘organisations’ were withdrawn by citing the reason that they were ‘political activists.’