Amidst criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara clarified on Friday that Kar Sevak Srikanth Poojari is not currently facing 16 cases. While acknowledging 16 cases were previously registered against Poojari, Parameshwara emphasized that his statement was not meant to imply the activist currently has 16 cases against him. The Home Minister criticized the BJP for spreading false propaganda against Poojari, questioning the party’s large-scale protest in his support.
Parameshwara highlighted the court’s verification of 26 cases, arguing that the law applies uniformly to everyone, and those found guilty should be punished. In response, former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashoka challenged the Congress government to prove Poojari has 16 cases, promising to apologize publicly if proven wrong.
Ashoka dismissed the police’s claim that Poojari did not attend court proceedings, accusing officers of misguiding the government. Recently, a Congress delegation lodged a complaint against Ashoka and other BJP members for derogatory statements during a protest against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.