Minister Zameer on a sticky wicket over Wakf report

Minority Welfare and Wakf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan landed himself in a tight spot on Thursday following his contradictory statements on ordering a CBI probe into the controversial findings of the Anwar Manippady report on encroachment of Wakf properties in the state.

Replying to BJP MLC Arun Shahapur in the Legislative Council on the status of the Karnataka State Minority Commission report, Khan targeted the BJP for not taking action based on the report, when it was in power. He said that the report was submitted in March 2012 when D V Sadananda Gowda was the chief minister. “Your government was silent on the report for one-and-a-half years. Your government could have ordered a CBI probe -- but no action was taken,” added Khan.

The BJP members, however, said that Khan should order the CBI probe, as he was in power. To this Khan said, “I am ready.”

However, Congress MLC Abdul Jabbar said that such a probe could not be ordered as the matter was before the High Court. He also said that the report itself was “duplicate”. When the Opposition members took serious exception to this, Housing Minister U T Khader also interjected by saying that Khan had merely said that he would consider BJP’s demand.

Realising his faux pas, Khan too maintained that he had only said that he would consider the suggestion. He also said that the House records could be checked and verified. Pro tem Chairman Basavaraj Horatti said that he would verify the records.

The report commissioned by the BJP government had alleged misappropriation to the tune of Rs two lakh crore. While the BJP government failed to take action, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had rejected the report in 2016 saying that it was politically motivated.