Cases against Christians in Karnataka withdrawn

(December 02, 2011) The government of southern India’s Karnataka state has withdrawn 23 cases filed against Christians during the 2008 anti-Christian violence in the state. The decision was taken on Thursday at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda. The chief minister gave the nod for withdrawing cases against those who protested attacks on churches in Mangalore, Chikmagalur and other parts of the state. “In all 26 cases had been booked in connection with the protests in 2008, of which three have been discharged by the courts,” Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar said. He said that the cabinet decided to withdraw the remaining 23 cases following the request by the Karnataka Christians International and Diocese of Mangalore. Parts of Karnataka, including Bangalore, saw attacks on churches and prayer halls in September-October 2008, triggering a wave of protests against the government led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) three months after it assumed office.