In what has become a shocking development, the state government of Karnataka has decided to drop off 62 criminal cases that were booked against BJP MPs and MLAs, who were majorly charged under the grounds of rioting, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly, and wrongful restraint. 

The decision of withdrawing the cases has been made on Thursday based on the recommendation of Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who headed the committee that worked on the proposal, and some of the key people who have been acquitted from the cases include several sitting ministers and the development from the BJP ruling state had erupted controversy across the nation. 

According to the reports, cases filed against Law Minister Madhuswamy, Tourism Minister CT Ravi, and Agriculture Minister B.C.Patil have been dropped. Ministers Ravi and Madhuswamy were booked with charges under the grounds of rioting, wrongful restraint, and unlawful assembly. 

The cases were also dropped against the people who quitted Congress and joined BJP recently. BJP MP of Mysuru Pratap Simha, Independent MP of Mandya Sumalatha Ambarish, BJP MLA Hallapa Achar from Yelburga, BJP MLA from Honnalli, and CM's political secretary Renukacharya have also been poured relief from the government after the cases against them have been withdrawn. 

Mysuru MP Simha was booked a case for trying to run over a policeman in December 2017 during the Hanuman Jayanthi procession. He was booked under the grounds of overspeeding and for voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant. However, he has been free now after that case was dropped. 

Anand Singh was the Congress leader when the case was filed against him in 2017 for reportedly attacking the taluk office and he was charged with criminal intimidation, damaging public property, and assaulting a public servant. Anand Singh has dissented against the Congress party and joined BJP last year and now the serious cases against him have been dropped. 

Justifying the move, the Karnataka ruling BJP government has denied allegations put against the government on its motive behind the dropping of cases and said the dropping of cases has been the routine process and claimed that the cases were booked against the leaders for acting up for the public issues. However, the decision has drawn major flak from the opposition where the Congress party had questioned the government's decision. 

According to the reports, the government has taken the decision by defying the concerns from the state police department. The move of dropping the cases was strongly opposed by the director-general and inspector general of police, the director of the prosecution, and the law ministry. However, the government has decided to go with the recommendation of the home minister and dropped off the cases.