Bengaluru : Karnataka Congress leader Zameer Ahmed Khan’s ‘Muslim Speaker’ remark has triggered a row, with the Opposition BJP and JD(S) demanding his resignation over the comment. Zameer Ahmed Khan, however, said that he did not say anything wrong.
Khan, the Minister for Housing, Waqf and Minority affairs, had recently said that BJP leaders bowed before a Muslim Speaker (U T Khader) in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, thanks to the opportunity given by the Congress.
His remark kicked a storm in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday.
“I don’t understand why they are demanding my resignation. December 4 the session started and today it is December 11. What were they doing for the past one week? What wrong have I spoken?…It was a meeting in Hyderabad and, at the meeting, somebody asked ‘Will Congress do justice for minorities’. Therefore, I said that 17 Muslims were given tickets to contest from Congress, out of which 9 won and 5 of them have been given plump positions.”
“In the history of Karnataka, no Muslim was made Speaker, but the Congress has done that, and it’s for the first time ever. Then, I said the BJP should salute the Speaker. Today also I am saying that everyone should salute the position of the Speaker…Have I said Hindus should bow down?” the Karnataka minister asked.
Zameer Ahmed Khan said that the opposition has no issues they can bring up and is therefore trying to stir a row. “Let this be discussed on the floor of the house. I have not done anything wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior BJP MLA CN Ashwath Narayan on Monday said that Khan had no right to remain in the House and demanded his suspension from the Assembly.
