Knives out as Congress leader seeks disciplinary action against Karnataka Minister Zameer

Bengaluru: Knives are coming out in the ruling Congress for Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan with a party office-bearer on Friday seeking disciplinary action against the Chamarajpet lawmaker for causing “damage” and “embarrassment”.

Karnataka Congress vice-president A R M Hussain has shot off a damning letter to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar against Zameer.

This comes a day after Congress’ Chanappatna bypoll candidate C P Yogeshwar lamented that Zameer’s controversial statements had had an adverse impact on his high-stakes battle against Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumarasway.

“Party leaders must now realise that Zameer, who doesn’t comprehend the dignity and privilege of being a minister, is adding only losses to the party and the government,” Hussain wrote to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president.

“At a time when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are striving to lead the government and the party based on secular values by taking everyone along, Zameer has vitiated the atmosphere through inhuman statements and creating controversies,” Hussain said.

Hussain further said that Zameer must be held accountable for the “setback” the Congress has faced during the bypolls. “It is clear that Zameer’s statements and controversies he created have had an adverse impact on the party. The party has faced a setback. Khan must face the consequences,” he said, adding that the party and government must stop promoting the likes of Zameer.

During the Channapatna campaign, Zameer said the Muslim community had enough strength to raise funds to “buy” Kumaraswamy’s family. He also repeatedly addressed Kumaraswamy as “kaala” and “kaalia”, referring to his dark skin. Zameer later offered to apologise for his “kaalia” slur.

On Thursday, Yogeshwar lamented that Zameer’s statements could cost him his election.

Earlier, a section of Congress lawmakers had volunteered to write to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge seeking his intervention in managing the Waqf controversy for which Zameer is being blamed.