Mysore: Janata Dal-United (JD-U) local leader Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy who has agreed to go as emissary to meet forest brigand Veerappan to secure the safe release of former minister Nagappa, on October 18 demanded the state government to make its stand clear on the abduction issue.

Speaking at a mammoth meeting organised by the action committee to have Nagappa released, Mahadevaswamy said if the government sent him as emissary and simultaneously carried on Special Task Force (STF) operations to nab Veerappan, his mission would be fruitless.

From the past experiences, it was evident that the government having made use of the services of emissaries to secure the release of Kannada thespian Rajkumar was now prosecuting them.

Srinivas Prasad, Union Minister of State for Public Distribution, who inaugurated the protest meeting criticised Karnataka government for its what he called "insincere efforts" to have Nagappa released. He said that he was not asking the government to withdraw charges against Tamil activist Kolathur Mani, but to move bail application so as to facilitate Mani to go as emissary.

A number of former state ministers addressed the meeting.

Later, speaking to reporters, Mahadevaswamy said if Veerappan insisted on Mani being sent "My going to him will not serve any purpose".

PTI