BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, a Cabinet minister in the Karnataka government, has courted a controversy by calling HD Kumaraswamy, union minister and former CM, a racist slur for being dark complexioned.
Retorting strongly, the Janata Dal Secular (JD(S)) demanded that the Congress government should sack Khan from the cabinet for his racist slur. Addressing an election rally in Ramanagara on Sunday, Khan said CP Yogeeshwara, the Congress candidate from Channapatna, had no other option but to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier.
“Due to some differences in our party (Congress), he contested as an independent. He had no option but to join the BJP. He was not ready to join the JD(S) because “Kaaliya Kumaraswamy” was more dangerous than the BJP. Now he (Yogeeshwara) has come back home,” said Khan.
Yogeeshwara is contesting Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Kumaraswamy’s son who is contesting as an NDA candidate on the JD(S) ticket, in a direct contest in the Channapatna Assembly bypoll. Khan also alleged that Kumaraswamy had said he did not need Muslim votes. At the rally, Khan played an audio of the purported statement where Kumaraswamy is allegedly heard saying, “My politics is not dependent on Muslim votes. I am making this clear. I don’t need Hijab or Pajaab.” The minister asked those gathered, “Kumaraswamy says he does not want Hijab or Pajaab but he wants Muslim votes. Will you vote for him?”
He said Kumaraswamy is under the impression that he can buy Muslim votes. “Aye Kumaraswamy, tell me your bidding amount. The Muslim community will generate funds that can buy your entire clan,” Khan said amid cheers of the crowd.
The JD(S) in a post on ‘X’ called Khan a ‘racist’. “Your power and greed that you will buy the family of Deve Gowda who brought you up politically will not last long,” the JD(S) post read. The party sought to know the colour of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, ministers HC Mahadevappa, Satish Jarakiholi, Priyank Kharge and KH Muniyappa. “Dismiss such a low mentality person from the Cabinet immediately,” the party further demanded.
Kiren Rijiju , Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, too condemned Khan’s slur. “I strongly deplore Congress Minister Zameer Ahmed calling Union Minister & Ex CM of Karnataka Sh. Kumaraswamy as ‘Kaalia Kumaraswamy’. This is a racist remark, same as Rahul Gandhi’s adviser calling South Indians look like Africans, North East as Chinese, North Indians as Arabs,” Rijiju wrote on ‘X’.
