BJP peeved at Cong 'snub' over Haj Bhavan opening

The BJP Minority Morcha on Friday charged the state government with indulging in “divisive politics” by not inviting BJP Muslim leaders to the inauguration of the Haj Bhavan in Bengaluru.

The Bhavan, located at Hegde Nagar, is scheduled for inauguration on Saturday to coincide with Air India’s first Haj flight from Karnataka. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Morcha president Abdul Azim said it was the BJP government which had released grants for the Rs 87-crore Bhavan.

“It was the BJP government which finalised the plans for the Bhavan, released grants and monitored the progress of the project for five years. But no BJP Muslim leader has been invited for the inauguration,” he said.

Azim charged the government with engaging in “social boycott” of Muslims in the BJP. Azim refused to comment on queries from reporters on BJP leader K S Eshwarappa trying to consolidate OBC and Dalit votes (but leaving out minorities) by associating himself with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade.