Centre denounces Karnataka's clean chit to Amnesty India

Union Minister Ananth Kumar on Sunday hits out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government for giving Amnesty International India a clean chit, saying it is the constitutional duty of the state dispensation to book cases of sedition against not only Amnesty India, but also against its office bearers and participants, who raised anti-India slogans.

Kumar said the Karnataka Government should book the guilty and prosecute them.

"My basic question to Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara is why they are interpreting sedition, it is their constitutional duty to register cases of sedition against not only against Amnesty India, but also against its office bearers and participants, who raised anti-India slogans," said the BJP leader.

"They should book them immediately and take appropriate action," he added.

Kumar urged Siddaramaiah to stop atrocities on ABVP protesters and take action against erring police officials who acted roughly with the protesting students.

"ABVP is a patriotic student organisation, and has been raising these issues by undertaking a peaceful agitation, but they are facing the wrath of the state government. This is unacceptable. The police are manhandling our students. The state government should take action against erring police officers," said Kumar.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had yesterday said Amnesty International was not wrong in organising the event and that did not amount to sedition.

On August 14, an event was organised by Amnesty International called 'Broken Families', where Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims shared their Jammu and Kashmir experience.

Anti-national slogans were allegedly raised during the event, since then the ABVP has been staging protests demanding the arrest of organisers and people who raised anti-national slogans.

The police are still investigating the case.