Belagavi: In a day-long protest staged in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, the BJP called for the resignation of Housing and Minority Welfare Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan due to his remarks made during an election rally in Telangana last month.
Zameer, in his speech, had highlighted the significance the Congress party attributes to Muslims and mentioned that the Congress, for the first time, appointed a Muslim as the Speaker, whom even the BJP had to acknowledge with respect.
This statement drew the ire of the BJP, prompting them to demand his removal from the cabinet. BJP state president BY Vijayendra had declared to address the issue during the session.
While the Belagavi session commenced last Monday, the BJP refrained from raising the issue as Zameer Ahmed Khan was absent, engrossed in Telangana politics. As Zameer was scheduled to attend the session on Monday, rumors circulated that the BJP would take up the matter on Monday.
As anticipated, when Zameer Ahmed Khan rose to reply to a question in the session, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka seized the opportunity to raise the issue.
Other BJP leaders, including former Minister CA Ashwath Narayan and Basangoud Patil Yatnal, joined in condemnation.
Speaker UT Khader urged the BJP members to follow proper procedure by giving notice for discussion and not to take up it during the question hour.
He emphasized the importance of addressing issues related to North Karnataka and drought during the session, expressing concern about the disruption.
Despite the speaker's appeal, BJP members continued to voice their objections, leading to the adjournment of the house. Even after the session resumed, BJP leaders persisted in the well of the house, demanding the resignation of Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.
While BJP leaders decried Zameer's statement, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda asserted that Zameer did not insult anyone.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called on BJP members to engage in discussion and allow the session to proceed. He urged them to follow the democratic process and submit a notice for discussion on the issue.
He also accused the BJP of being "anti-constitution, anti-people, anti-parliament," and questioned their silence during the first week of the session.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the delayed response from the central government on drought-related issues. He alleged that the BJP does not want discussions on drought and North Karnataka.
