Karnataka Home Minister says, misinterpreted on Amnesty sedition issue

Bengaluru, Aug. 22 (ANI): Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Monday said that he was misinterpreted on the issue of the Amnesty International sedition case by vested interests. "I have been misinterpreted, that is why I did not want to react to it unnecessarily. The government of India has all the facilities to find that what Amnesty India is doing. If they are doing an anti-national activity, let them find it out and take an action. Nobody stops the centre, agencies or home ministry from taking any action. Why do they think that Karnataka is trying to protect them or give them a clean chit?" Parameshwara told ANI. Parameshwara said that he has not given the Indian chapter of Amnesty a clean chit and added that the investigation is still going on. "I am not a fool to say that everything is being well and everything is going good. All I said is that I have not heard Amnesty International involved in any anti-national activity as per my knowledge. If there is anything else, that is fine, the law will take the appropriate course of action. That's all I have said, and I am standing by my statement," he added. He said, "We make statements but not in response to other's statements. In this case, I have told that I have not come across this and they are trying to say that the state home minister is giving a clean chit, yet I have not given them a clean chit, investigation is on and how can they interpret to their own advantage. I had never interfered in any case, and I do not want to do it now also." He added that if the (Police) commissioner has made a statement, let it be on record and the FIR, as to how they are handling it and take action accordingly, whether to close the case, or take it forward. The investigation officer is to decide and we are not to interfere in that. On Saturday, Parameshwara reportedly said Amnesty International did not do anything seditious by organising an event in support of Kashmiris. At an event organized by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee to mark the birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi and D Devaraj Urs, he had said: "I do not believe Amnesty International has conducted any seditious activity. Shouting slogans does not constitute anti-national activity." Last week Karnataka Police had filed a case after anti-India slogans were allegedly raised during a debate on Kashmir organized by Amnesty in Bengaluru. The debate became muddled after some people from Kashmir, exchanged heated words with Kashmiri Pandit leader and former journalist RK Mattoo when he said, "The army is present everywhere in the North-East, Kashmir and other sundry places. I can tell you proudly that the Indian Army is one of the most disciplined armies in the world." "Pro-freedom" Kashmiris at the debate shouted slogans and policemen posted for the event eventually managed to pacify the two groups. Amnesty India said it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for "victims of human rights violations" in Jammu and Kashmir. It, however, said "it considers the right to freedom of expression under international human rights law protects the right to calmly advocate political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence."(ANI)