Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday advised Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah not to make any arrests in the case against Amnesty International India, a day after the state government defended the sedition charges.
Singh, who is the general secretary in charge of the state, tweeted that Siddaramaiah had assured him no arrests will be made pending investigation in the case where unidentified men allegedly shouted anti-India slogans at an event on Kashmir.
The Congress leader also clarified that only an FIR has been filed against event organiser Amnesty International and the participating students.
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah had said nobody would be spared if they indulge in anti-national activity. State Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, Law minister TB Jayachandra and Higher Education minister Basaravaraja Rayareddy too had defended the sedition charges saying anti-national activity would not be tolerated in Karnataka.
Rayareddy said the government had instructed college managements to expel the students for allegedly raising slogans demanding "azaadi" for Kashmir.
The Karnataka government’s decision to slap sedition charges had embarrassed the Congress high command which had taken a strong stand against the stringent law during the JNU agitation in Delhi. Siddaramaiah himself had opposed the sedition charge against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar last February.
Last Friday, a few dozen participants, mainly students from Kashmir, had allegedly raised anti-India slogans at an Amnesty India programme held at United Theological College in Bengaluru. The ABVP lodged a complaint with videos of the event following which the Bengaluru City police registered a case under sedition law. The main opposition BJP is demanding the arrest of Amnesty India officials and the students.
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