Haveri: Just ahead of the by-elections, former MLA and Congress leader from Shiggaon, Syed Azempeer Khadri, has sparked controversy with remarks on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s inclination toward embracing Islam.
A video capturing his statements at a convention for the Adi Jambava community has gone viral, igniting heated discussions across social media.
In the video, Khadri is heard stating, "I have learned that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had prepared to embrace Islam. However, he ultimately chose Buddhism. Had he embraced Islam, we might have seen Ramappa Timmapur (Excise Minister) as Rahim Sab, Dr. G. Parameshwara (Home Minister) as Peer Sab, and Hanumath Gowda as Hassan Sab.” His comments were made on Tuesday but circulated widely on Wednesday, drawing intense criticism.
No sooner did the statement become viral attracting serious criticism, Khadri clarified to reporters on Wednesday that he holds deep respect for Dr. Ambedkar, adding, "If my words have hurt anyone, I apologize and retract them." He emphasized that his remarks were personal opinions, not representative of Congress.
However, BJP leaders have strongly condemned his statements. BJP State General Secretary P. Rajeev accused the Congress leaders in the platform of being silent on such narratives.
“This is not merely Khadri’s statement; Congress is driving this agenda. None of the Congress leaders present at the event spoke against this statement or condemned it,” Rajeev told Deccan Chronicle. He termed it part of a "wokeism" agenda, warning that if left unchecked, this narrative could mislead people.
"If the statement goes unchallenged, in 20 years, they may try to convince people that Dr. Ambedkar wanted to convert to Islam as justification for conversions," he added.
Khadri won the Shiggaon seat in the 1999 elections as a JD(S) candidate. He later joined Congress and contested the seat against BJP's Basavaraj Bommai, but lost in 2008, 2013, and again in 2018. Khadri was a strong contender for the Congress ticket in the forthcoming by-election. However, when the party chose Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan as the candidate, Khadri rebelled and filed his nomination as an independent. He ultimately withdrew his nomination after being convinced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
