Bangalore, Nov 12: Expressing displeasure over what they termed as "indifferent attitude" by the government, the opposition parties in Karnataka will stage dharna today to protest the delay in securing the release of abducted Janata Dal (U) leader H Nagappa from the clutches of forest bandit Veerappan.

At a meeting of opposition party leaders convened by the opposition BJP leader in the state assembly, Jagadish Shettar, the parties unanimously flayed the "lack of serious efforts" by government in ending the hostage crisis which entered the 76th day. The dharna will be stage in front of Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, and convene a meeting of all party leaders the next day to chalkout their future course of agitation plans. He said the meeting came down on the Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna's alleged "failure" to meet his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa and demanded that he commence a dialogue "as soon as possible" to chalkout a joint strategy on the matter. Bureau Report