Cong MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan's "Muslims outnumber Vokkaligas" comment stirs controversy in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jul 25: Congress leader and MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan's remarks about Muslims outnumbering Vokkaligas in Karnataka has stirred a controversy, with it now taking the shape of "community politics."
Vokkaliga leaders from the ruling BJP hit out at Khan for his remarks by projecting it as an attempt to belittle the politically dominant community, even as Congress leaders attempted damage control while expressing reservations against the comments made.
There are reports that Nirmalanandanatha swamiji, a prominent Vokkaliga seer, has conveyed his unhappiness to Congress leaders in this regard.
Khan, who is considered to be a close confidant of Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, while reacting to party's state President D K Shivakumar's attempt to consolidate the Vokkaliga community, had recently said that nobody can become the Chief Minister with support from just one community.
"No one can become CM with support from one community, everyone will have the desire (to become CM) that's not wrong...it is possible (to become CM) only by taking all communities together? I too have a desire to become CM, my community's percentage is more than that of Vokkaligas. Is it possible for me to become CM, just with the support of my community? Not possible," Khan said.
Shivakumar, who is a Vokkaliga, had recently called on the community, which forms a major vote-bank in the old Mysuru or southern Karnataka region, to support his Chief Ministerial bid.
Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have been engaged in a political one-upmanship for months now, as both are Chief Ministerial aspirants in the event of Congress coming to power in the state after 2023 Assembly polls.
Though Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that the party's newly elected legislators and high command will decide on who will be the Chief Minister, his loyalists including Khan have been openly making statements in favour of their leader, ignoring warnings of disciplinary action, leaving the party virtually divided.
Khan's statement that Muslims outnumber Vokkaligas in the state, while trying to make a case for Siddarmaiah as CM face, has now led to a controversy and has drawn criticism.
Expressing his displeasure over Khan's statement, Congress leader and Vokkaliga leader from Mandya Cheluvarayaswamy said, "unnecessary mentioning" about the community was not right.
Noting that Khan's statements regarding the Vokkaliga community have elicited reactions from Swamijis, BJP leaders, he said, "Was it needed?....demanding that my Muslim community is strong and we also should be given a chance- is not wrong, but saying we are more than (outnumber) Vokkaligas is unnecessary....it will now be interpreted as the Congress not standing up for Vokkaligas."
Another Congress leader and MLA Priyank Kharge without taking Khan's name said, those in responsible positions should see to it that what they speak should not cause damage to community, party and society at large.
"No one should behave in a way that cause damage to the organisation, my goodwill towards someone should not hurt others, there is a party forum like CLP to express your views....president and seniors will take a call regarding disciplinary action," he said but defended Shivakumar by stating that he only sought support of his community.
BJP leaders while criticising Khan also targeted Shivakumar for bringing in community to promote personal ambitions and pointed out that Vokkaligas don't belong to any one party.
Hitting out at the Congress for bringing the community into their internal fighting, senior Minister and a prominent Vokkaliga face within the ruling BJP R Ashoka said, the community will not forgive the grand old party and they should stop such things.
"Settle your issues within, don't bring community, this country runs as per Constitution, where CM is for the whole state and not for a community...They (Congress) are speaking about Vokkaliga. I'm also a Vokkaliga, what rights do they have to speak about Vokkaligas? The community is respected, the community (largely farming) provides food for the society," he said.
"Don't cross the 'Lakshmanrekha' with regards to Vokkaligas. Congress already has an experience, because of the way they dealt with Veerendra Patil (former CM), his community (Lingayats) are not with the party till today," Ashoka reminded.
BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi said, there was a time when there was a feeling that elections can be won only with the help of Muslim votes, which had led to appeasement politics.
"That time has gone long ago, Zameer bhai (Khan)....threatening and blackmailing in the name of vote bank has gone long ago. Let Zameer bhai remember that one can do politics today by stating 'Bharat Mataki Jai' and working for people," he added.
Reacting to the criticism, Khan said, he has a cordial relationship with the swamiji and Vokkaliga community and any one can enquire about it at the Adichunchanagiri Mutt (a prominent Vokkaliga seminary).
Khan, who was earlier with JD(S), even went on to claim that party's patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda- one of the tallest Vokkaliga leaders- to be his "political guru", as he hit out at BJP leaders Ashoka and Ravi, accusing them of being greedy about "chair and power" and not having any love towards people any community.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
