Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan questions sanction of funds for minorities in BJP MLA's constituency
Bengaluru, Feb 19: Karnataka Housing and Minorities Welfare Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan on Monday wondered why development funds for minorities should be sanctioned in a BJP MLA’s constituency who spoke ill of Muslims.
Khan’s statement in the Karnataka assembly led to a commotion as the BJP legislators said this was discriminatory and blocked government money for the welfare of minorities.
During the question hour, Shikaripura MLA B Y Vijayendra, who is also the BJP state president, asked Khan about the funds released for the development of minorities’ colonies.
He accused the government of releasing Rs 1,000 crore for the minorities when there was a severe drought in the state and farmers were waiting for support.
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Khan, who holds the Housing, Wakf and Minorities Welfare portfolio, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did not release Rs 1,000 crore but prepared an action plan of Rs 1,000 crore which was stretched for three years.
The grant allocated for the development of minorities’ colony in the budget is Rs 250 crore and an additional Rs 50 crore has been earmarked under the Panchayat Development Plan. All put together, it is only Rs 300 crore but only Rs 165 crore has been released, Khan explained.
He also pointed out the minorities have not been given even one per cent of the Rs. 3.71 lakh crore budget.
The Minister said the government has put the minority colonies into A, B and C categories based on the population
To this, BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said there are 1.2 lakh Muslims in Vijayapura constituency but no funds have been released.
Zameer said, “Should you be given grants? Do you want grants? After becoming MLA you said no Burqa-clad woman and no one with a beard should approach me. We will not do anything for Muslims. How can we give you grants?” The BJP MLAs retorted saying that being a minister he should not have said that.
This is the Government's fund and not Zameer Ahmed Khan’s money,” former minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said.
Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai advised Khan to answer the political questions in a political manner outside the assembly and not inside the House.
“Don’t you want the minorities’ colony in Vijayapura to be developed when there is a huge Muslim population there? Will you be the protector of minorities by excluding 1.2 lakh minorities in Yatnal’s constituency,” Bommai said.
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Plane crash in California leaves at least two dead, eighteen injured
California: At least two people were killed and 18 were injured when a small plane crashed into a commercial building in Southern California on Thursday afternoon.
Police got a report around 2:10 p.m. of a crash in the Orange County city of Fullerton. Kristy Wells, spokesperson for the Fullerton Police Department, told the Associated Press that emergency crews, including firefighters and police, arrived to fight a blaze that had ignited at the scene. Nearby businesses were evacuated too. The fire caused damage to a warehouse, which appeared to house sewing machines and textile stock.
She mentioned that injuries ranged from minor to severe, adding that ten people were taken to the hospital and eight were treated on scene. There were two confirmed deaths.
Local television footage and images captured plumes of smoke billowing from the building.
#WATCH | A small plane crashed through the roof of a furniture warehouse in Southern California killing two people and injuring at least 15.#California #planecrash pic.twitter.com/7CZkp77R3p
— DD News (@DDNewslive) January 3, 2025
It was not immediately known how many people were on the plane or whether those injured were inside the aircraft or on the ground.
The aircraft involved was a Van’s RV-10, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which stated it is investigating the crash with the National Transportation Safety Board.
