The Hindu : Karnataka News : Decision to withdraw cases against Revanna upsets Puttaswamy Gowda

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Saturday, Sep 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Decision to withdraw cases against Revanna upsets Puttaswamy Gowda

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, SEPT. 17. The tussle between the former MP, G. Puttaswamy Gowda, and the Minister for Public Works, H.D. Revanna, has come to the fore again.

Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda seems to be upset with the State Government withdrawing the police cases against Mr. Revanna and others registered two years ago for allegedly creating trouble during an agitation for release of Hemavathi waters for irrigation and to take up work on the Yagachi Left Bank Canal.

Pressure

Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda said the Government withdrew the cases filed against Mr. Revanna and others because of the pressure by the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders.

Though he protested against the withdrawal of cases against Mr. Revanna, the Government gave in to the demand of the Janata Dal (S), he said.

He expressed dissatisfaction over the decision of the Government.

The Janata Dal (S) and the Yagachi Neeravari Horata Samiti organised a protest rally at the Hemavathi Reservoir in Gorur on November 27, 2002, demanding that Hemavathy waters be released to save the standing crops and steps be taken to commence work on the Yagachi Left Bank Canal from the 83rd km point to the 100 km point.

Violence

The irrigation authorities had stopped the work on the canal without assigning any reason.The agitation turned violent and the police resorted to lathicharge after bursting teargas shells to quell the mob. Six persons, including five constables, were injured in the violence. Prohibitory orders were clamped on the reservoir area.

Protesting the police action, Mr. Revanna staged a dharna at Gorur and sought action against those responsible for the lathicharge.

The Janata Dal (S) withdrew the dharna with the intervention of Siddaramaiah, who was the President of State unit of the Janata Dal (S). However, the cases booked against Mr. Revanna and others were not withdrawn. According to sources, after the formation of the coalition Government, the pressure on the Government to withdraw the cases against Mr. Revanna increased.

`Not aware'

Senior police officers in the district said that they were not aware of the Government withdrawing the cases against Mr. Revanna and they had not been consulted on the matter.

It was not mandatory for the Government to refer the issue to the local police. However, Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda criticised the decision of the Government and sought to know if it would do so with regard to cases booked against some officials in connection with the implementation of the food-for-work programme.

Many policemen were injured in the violence and the decision would demoralise them, he said.

PIL

Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda said that he was examining the possibility of filing a public interest litigation against the Government's decision.

He alleged that the Congress workers were being threatened at Holenarsipur and the police were refusing to act on complaints in this regard.

The Congress leaders in the taluk were not being consulted while taking up development works, he said.

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