Mysore, Oct 18: JD(U) local leader Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy, who has agreed to go as an emissary to meet forest brigand Veerappan to secure the safe release of former minister Nagappa, today demanded that the state government make its stand clear on the abduction issue. Speaking at a meeting here, organised by the action committee, to have Nagappa released, Mahadevaswamy said if the government sent him as emissary and simultanously carried on STF operations to nab Veerappan, his mission would be fruitless.
From past experience, it was evident that the government had made use of the services of emissaries to secure the release of Kannada thespian Rajkumar and was now prosecuting them.
Srinivas Prasad, union minister of state for public distribution, who inaugurated the protest meet, criticised the Karnataka government for its 'insincere efforts" to have Nagappa released. He said he was not asking the government to withdraw charges against Tamil activist Kolathur Mani, but to move bail application to facilitate Mani to go as an emissary.
A number of former state ministers addressed the meeting.
Later, speaking to newsmen, Mahadevaswamy said if Veerappan insisted on Mani being sent, "my going to him will not serve any purpose". Bureau Report