(December 02, 2011) The government of southern India’s Karnataka state has withdrawn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.