Bengaluru: The internal bickering in the JD(S) reached a flashpoint on Sunday, with party patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda terming party legislator and minority leader B.Z. Zameer Ahamed Khan as Mir Sadiq.
Kicking off the party campaign for the by-polls, Mr Gowda also came down against other leaders like Mr Iqbal Ansari and Mr P.G.R. Sindhia, saying they were conspiring to destroy the JD(S).
“In a private television channel programme, Mr Khan had said Mr Gowda is God. Now, he is trying to destroy me. I don't know why he is doing this. I had not agreed for a coalition government with the BJP. At that time, the same Mr Khan had taken my son to Goa, and I thought they would come back by evening, but they formed the coalition government. He is like Mir Sadiq in the party,” he said, comparing the three-time MLA to the minister in Tipu Sultan’s regime, who betrayed the Muslim king in the Anglo-Mysore war in 1799.
“Every year, Mr Khan sends 50 people to Umra and funds their trip through his ill-gotten money. Will the God appreciate this? In 2004, I went around every street and ensured his victory in the by-election. Does he have any humanity,” he asked. “Mr Iqbal Ansari was in the Congress without any position. I got him to the JD(S) and gave him positions. Now, he is talking against me,” Mr Gowda lamented. Blaming Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar and former CM S.M. Krishna for enticing Mr Siddaramaiah into the Congress, Mr Gowda said the two leaders had conspired to finish off the JD(S).
“After his defeat in 1989, Mr Siddaramaiah wanted to go back to his legal profession, but I persuaded him to continue in politics. When he wanted to become the CM, there were only five Kuruba legislators and 35 Lingayat legislators. He was made the Deputy Chief Minister in the J.H. Patel government. Now, when farmers are dying in the state, he is after Ahinda politics,” Mr Gowda said.
JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy asked Hebbal voters to question the Congress and BJP leaders on the lack of governance in the constituency. During campaigning, the public had taken JD(S) candidate Ismail Sharief to task over civic amenities. “Mr Jaffer Sharief and some of our friends are saying that the JD(S) has fielded a minority candidate to garner minority votes. However, most of the Congress leaders are not interested in the victory of Mr Sharief's grandson. They are all trying to ensure BJP’s victory,'' he said.
Earlier, the JD(S) organised a big rally in the constituency and Bengaluru legislators Akhanda Srinivasmurthy, Gopalaiah, Deputy Mayor Hemalatha and others took part. The absence of Mr Zameer Ahamed Khan and any minority leader at the rally was glaring.
Mr Gowda arrived at the venue by 5.30 pm, but the public programme was delayed by over half-an-hour as it was “Rahu Kala”.
Once the inauspicious time was over, the campaign was officially launched with the lighting of the lamp.
Not Gowda, HDK should mend his ways: Zameer
It was in 2002, when former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who had lost the election in the Hassan Parliamentary constituency, had filed his nominations for the by-election from the Kanakapura Parliamentary constituency. Then an ordinary Congress worker, Mr B.Z. Zameer Ahamed Khan, had moved to Mumbai for extending his family business. He got a call from the then seer of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, Sri Balagangadharanath Swamiji, who introduced Mr Khan to Mr Gowda over phone. A follower of Swamiji, Mr Khan returned to Bengaluru within a week, and the rest, as they say, is history. Mr Gowda, whatever happened within the party, had never directly attacked Mr Khan. But that was till last week. A little pained, Mr Khan has taken it in his stride, calling it an attack by a “fatherly figure”. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mr Khan said that he is not joining any other party even if he quits the JD(S). He expressed tremendous confidence in the JD(S) bouncing back to power if state president H.D. Kumaraswamy mended his ways and listened to his father. Excerpts from the interview:
How did you feel when Mr Gowda attacked you at a press conference?
It hurt me in some remote corner. But I took in my stride as he is a fatherly figure to me. I don't understand why it happened. Our relationship is very old and unique. He had all the right to call me and seek an explanation. The trouble started with the candidates chosen for the by-elections, especially Mr Ismail Sharief from the Hebbal constituency. At that moment, Mr Sharief’s choice was understandable as rumors were doing the rounds that the Congress would field Mr Byrathi Suresh. I could have worked for the party candidate and we could have won the election. But at the last moment, the Congress gave the ticket to Mr Rehaman Sharief.
As I did not know how to handle the situation, I decided to remain neutral. On the day the candidatures were announced on January 26, I had organised a rally in my constituency. I was leading it when Mr Gowda called me on my phone. I could not answer it and he sent the party minority wing president to me. I told him that I would meet Mr Gowda after the rally, which was getting over by 3 pm. But he announced the candidate by 2 pm and I was not consulted at all.
You have said that your community is above your party
Even today I say that. I have been recognised in the party because of my community. I still get calls from my community leaders on the motives behind JD(S) in fielding a minority candidate against another and how it could help the BJP win. We can defend fielding Mr Ismail Sharief in Hebbal as the Congress announced its choice later. But our community leaders point to the choice of Mr Ayaz against Mr Rahim Khan and feel that the JD(S) is helping the BJP.
The minority community had almost forgotten the JD(S) joining hands with the BJP to form the coalition government. Now, we have reminded them again of that. It is affecting ZP and TP elections too. I had issued many statements and also given an advertisement in an Urdu newspaper, appealing to the community to vote for any one of the candidates, as division of votes in the general elections at the Hebbal constituency had helped the BJP win by a narrow margin. I did not ask them to vote for a particular candidate. I don't know what Mr Gowda told, but he came down against me.
What is your next move?
Nothing. I am not going anywhere. In the first place, I don't need to make a living out of politics as I have my own business, and I am happy with that. Secondly, the rumors of me joining the Congress are baseless. I was introduced to Gowdaji by Sri Adichunchanagiri seer Sri Balagangadharanath Swamiji. I have been his follower and family member since then. There will be small differences within the family. If I don't get peace in my own family, will I get it in another house? If it goes to the extreme and if the JD(S) does not want me, I may quit politics. Even if I want to continue, I will only be an independent and will never join another party.
When I joined hands with Gowdaji, I worked tirelessly for his election in Bengaluru South. We established lead in all the booths. Also, I started my proper political journey from the JD(S). When I contested the by-election in Chamarajpet, Gowdaji worked like a devil. He organised rallies and went from house to house to ensure that I was elected as an MLA for the first time. Now, I am a third-time MLA and I have also become a minister once. Can I think of deserting or backstabbing this party?
What is the row between Mr Kumaraswamy, you and your friends?
At the outset, we don't have any problems. I, Mr Cheluvarayaswamy, Mr Balakrishna and others were Mr Kumaraswamy’s close friends. Now, that he is a former chief minister and a mass leader, he might have forgotten a few old things. Besides, he is busy with his son's movie and we rarely meet. Other than that, there is nothing.
B.Z. Zameer Ahamed Khan, JD(S) Leader
There are many splinter groups within the party. What do you feel?
These groups are created by the party itself. If one leader is growing in one district, the party props up another against him, damaging the party prospects. This has to stop. The JD(S) was built only by Gowdaji and lakhs of workers. People still remember the 20-month administration of by the party. We are losing elections because of groupism within, which was the creation of the party. Earlier, I wondered why leaders grew within this party and became MLAs and ministers, but later deserted the party. If this is the situation, how long can the leaders tolerate?
What will be the future of the party?
It has a great potential, but it has to be tapped in the right manner. Gowdaji has built the party from the scratch and he knows best. Mr Kumaraswamy has to realise this. In the first place, Mr Kumaraswamy has to shed his ‘I’ attitude and listen to his father. People are still ready to work for the party. He should realise that if the party comes to power, he is the undisputed Chief Ministerial candidate. Many a time, we get different signals from Gowdaji and Mr Kumaraswamy. This has to stop. We have to get one signal, whether it is from Gowdaji or Mr Kumaraswamy. In my personal opinion, nothing can match Gowdaji's political experience. He should be allowed to lead the party and take policy decisions for the party.
