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Karnataka HC cautions govt on bandh

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

A division bench of the Karnataka high court on Tuesday directed the Karnataka government to prevent the use of force in observing a bandh by its organisations in the state on September 28.

The bench, headed by the high court acting Chief Justice Ashok Bahn and Justice Gururajan, has also directed State Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and state chief secretary B K Bhattacharya to maintain law and order across the state at any cost.

The bench also directed the Rajakumar Fans' Association and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, which had given the bandh call in protest against the delay in securing the release of Kannada film icon Rajakumar from the clutches of bandit king Veerappan, not to use force in enforcing their call.

The orders were issued following a public interest litigation filed by city advocate Vasudevamurthy, seeking directions from the court to declare the bandh call as illegal.

Later, Kharge told the media that he had again appealed to the organisations to revoke their call in view of the tense situation, when the state government was doing its best to secure the release of the Kannada thespian.

"I have told the organisations to desist from going ahead with their call in the larger interest of the public as well as in ensuring that no untoward incidents take place to disrupt the normalcy, keeping in view the high court's ruling."

Kharge stated that the hostage drama was at a delicate stage as state emissary R Raja Gopal had established contact with the outlaw on his fourth mission to the jungle, for convincing him of the state government's sincerity in meeting his demands in exchange for Rajakumar's release with three others.

The minister also disclosed that the police machinery and other law-enforcing agencies had been put on maximum alert to prevent any untoward incident on Thursday.

Earlier, Chief Minister S M Krishna failed to convince members of the organisations against going ahead with their bandh. In fact, the organisations told the chief minister to gear up the state machinery for the bandh.

In a related development, ruling Congress parliamentarian and former state chief minister S Bangarappa defended the bandh call, saying it was to demonstrate the anguish of the Karnataka people over the inordinate delay in securing the release of Rajakumar, and express solidarity with his beleaguered family members.

Bangarappa's daughter is married to Rajakumar's eldest son Shivrajkumar, who is also a Kannada film actor with a mass following.

Bangarappa went to New Delhi on Tuesday evening, to meet President K R Narayanan, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L K Advani, to seek central intervention to secure the release of Rajakumar.

Bangarappa criticised appeals of the state government to call off the bandh.

"It is nearing two months since Rajakumar had been held captive by the outlaw. At this rate, we do not know how long the uncertainty will continue. There is no guarantee that the case in the Supreme Court will get over soon even after it takes up the state's plea on October 11. Cases involving the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code normally take months to get disposed of.

''People are getting restive. Rajakumar fans and the people of Karnataka can no longer wait. The tense situation calls for the immediate intervention of the Centre to rescue the film star, something on the lines of what it did in the Indian Airlines hijacking case in Kandahar."

Bangarappa defended the rights of Rajakumar fans and the people to observe the bandh.

"The state governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and the Centre are under the impression that there is no law and order problem in both states. My perception is that there is a lot of tension simmering beneath the facade. It can turn explosive," he warned.

Bangarappa, however, declined to reveal how the Centre should intervene and what were the alternatives for the states other than the peace mission, led by Gopal.

The Rajakumar Abduction: complete coverage
The saga of Veerappan

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