Bangalore: As pressure built up on government on the Nagappa hostage crisis issue
following a 12-day deadline set by forest brigand Veerappan, Karnataka Chief
Minister S M Krishna has convened an all-party meeting on November 23 to plan the
next move on the bandit's demand to send jailed Tamil activist Kollathur Mani as an
emissary.
The decision to convene the all-party meet followed by a Cabinet meeting was taken
at high-level discussions Krishna had with Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, Primary
and Secondary Education Minister B K Chandrashekhar and chief secretary A Ravindra
on the fresh development following the fifth audio tape sent by Veerappan.
Chandrashekhar told reporters that they discussed the "Veerappan tape", in which the
bandit has insisted that Mani be sent as an emissary, failing which he has
threatened to kill the hostage.
The Cabinet did not meet on November 22 as was announced earlier.
The November 23 meeting comes in the backdrop of Veerappan hardening his position in
the fifth cassette in which he has talked tough, blamed the government for the
prolonging hostage crisis and warned that his patience was thinning out.
PTI
