Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticised the Congress government in Karnataka on Monday for dropping cases against people he described as "Islamic fundamentalist elements." He claimed these individuals were involved in violent acts, including an attack on a police station.

While speaking with reporters, Joshi stated, "The Congress party government in Karnataka has withdrawn very serious cases against Islamic fundamentalist elements. I want to bring it to the knowledge of the country through you that this was an attack." 

The cases were brought against people who allegedly tried to murder police officers and set a police station on fire, Joshi clarified. These cases were first brought under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deals with actions that are considered detrimental to the government or anti-national. He emphasised the seriousness of the charges, stating that the accused had been repeatedly refused bail by the Supreme Court, the high court, and the trial court.

He was indignant about the choice to dismiss these cases, saying, "In spite of having all such facts before them, they have withdrawn the case against them, which is a most condemnable thing. It means the Congress party is trying to join hands for their vote bank politics with the people who are anti-social, and anti-national, and where there are very serious cases under UAPA. I strongly condemn this."

Joshi also targeted Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, for his recent remarks in which he called the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a "terrorist party." In response, Joshi brought up previous instances involving the Congress chief. "Kharge talks about the BJP as a terrorist party. May I remind him that your party supremo, Sonia Gandhi, was in tears when the Batla House incident took place, where a terrorist was shot dead by the police," Joshi added.

The Batla House encounter is a contentious police operation that took place in 2008 and resulted in the deaths of one police officer and two suspected terrorists.