Bengaluru: Two years ago, when Chamarajpet MLA, B Z Zameer Ahamed Khan sponsored the haj of workers of mosques and madrassas, it was clearly a party affair with former Prime Minister and JDS supremo, H D Deve Gowda and his family being a big part of the event held to send them off on pilgrimage.
But on Sunday at a similar function organized by the JDS MLA, the Gowda family was conspicuously absent and there were no posters either recalling them at the event. Mr Zameer, who had recently announced his decision to stay away from party affairs, had also dropped enough hints about his souring relations with the Gowda family. And now it was there for all to see although he chose to call it a private function and invited his close friends in the JD(S) like N Cheluvarayaswamy, H G Balakrishna and Puttanna, who also share an uneasy relationship with the Gowda family, to be a part of it.
Mr Zameer,who has been sponsoring the haj of poor workers of madrasas and mosques for the last 20 years, has this year too sponsored a number of them footing a bill of over one crore. Since 2004, he promoted the JD(S) at the functions held to send the workers off on pilgrimage. But things have clearly changed over the last six months. However, when asked about it, Mr Zameer dismissed speculation. “I sponsor the pilgrims. It is not a JD(S) function, but a private event.''
