Bengaluru, April 16 (IANS) Objecting to the action against Congress Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmad over alleged anti-party activities during the bypolls, Karnataka leaders of the Muslim community expressed outrage on Thursday. ​

Alleging bias by the party, they warned the ruling Congress leadership of consequences.​

Congress MLCs Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmad were stripped of their posts by the party. MLC Naseer Ahmad was removed from his position as the Chief Minister’s Political Advisor, while MLC Abdul Jabbar was expelled from the party’s primary membership. ​

Earlier, he had been asked to resign from the post of president of the party’s minority wing. Additionally, there is a strong rumour that the party will initiate action against Minister for Waqf and Housing, Zameer Ahmad Khan.​

Addressing a press conference on Thursday at Bengaluru Press Club, Mohammad Iftikhar Qasim, a religious leader and member of the Hajj Committee, said that the Congress had directly targeted Abdul Jabbar and expelled him, questioning why action was being taken only against Muslim leaders.​

He charged that the Muslim community is deeply angered and upset over this issue, adding that people are bigger than the party high command. ​

“For the sake of a by-election and one family, the Congress has turned the entire Muslim community against itself,” he alleged.​

He further claimed that the crisis within the Muslim community has arisen due to the backing of certain Congress leaders, and that Congress leaders themselves are responsible for the situation within the party.​

He pointed out that the Congress had claimed that what was given to the Meti family in the Bagalkot bypolls had also been extended in Davanagere. However, he questioned the need to extend it to late Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s family in Davanagere South, noting that his son is a minister and his daughter-in-law is a Member of Parliament.

“What was the necessity of giving it to the grandson?” he asked.​

Muslim religious leader Zulfiqar Ali said that All India Congress Committee General Secretary and Karnataka In-Charge Randeep Singh Surjewala had promised to give them a ticket, but went back on his word. ​

He stated that Muslim leaders had worked in favour of Congress candidates in Davanagere and Bagalkot, but disciplinary action was taken against them immediately after voting concluded.​

He warned that Congress must be taught a lesson and asserted that if AHINDA communities unite, neither Congress nor anyone else will remain politically relevant.​

Ali expressed anger, stating that when a ticket was sought from the Congress for the Davanagere constituency in 2023, the party had said it was necessary to give the ticket to Shivashankarappa as he was the sitting MLA. ​

He added that the party had assured that a ticket would be given to a minority candidate in the next election, but alleged that they had now been betrayed.​

–IANS

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