Rizwan Arshad’s plea for Hindu-Muslim harmony leads to heated debate on Islam, Ambedkar in Karnataka Assembly

'We have received only 1 per cent of the budget. I request with folded hands not to view us with contempt,' Shivajinagar Congress lawmaker Rizwan Arshad said.

Bengaluru: Shivajinagar Congress lawmaker Rizwan Arshad's plea for communal harmony led to a heated debate on the idea of brotherhood in Islam and Constitution architect BR Ambedkar's views in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Speaking on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's 2025-26 Budget, Rizwan lamented that the BJP's criticism over allocation for minorities, especially Muslims, would lead to a divided society.

"What message is being sent to our Hindu brothers? What will they think about Muslims? That the government has earmarked the entire Rs 4 lakh crore for Muslims? If the wrong message goes, how can we unite society? Shouldn't we live together for the nation's progress? We have received only 1 per cent of the budget. I request with folded hands not to view us with contempt," Rizwan said.

At this point, Bijapur City BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said: "BR Ambedkar has said that the Quran doesn't recognise any brotherhood outside Islam. It's all about destroying other religions."

This led to a din with IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge locking horns with Yatnal.

"Why did Ambedkar renounce the Hindu religion? That's because there was no brotherhood or equality in Hindu religion," Priyank said. "No holy book espouses violence. We create those things."

During the din, Speaker UT Khader said he would give Yatnal a Kannada copy of the Quran. "I've read the Quran," Yatnal said.

Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa sought to intervene by saying that Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi wanted Hindus and Muslims to live like brothers. Retorting, Shimoga BJP MLA Channabasappa (Chenni) demanded to know who caused the Partition of India.

"Two-nation theory was first proposed by Veer Savarkar," Priyank charged.

Yatnal vowed to "expose" the true colours of Congress leaders. "I will reveal what Ambedkar really said," he said, adding that the BJP would not allow Karnataka to become Pakistan.

Rizwan said Muslims are not outsiders. "We're also children of this soil. We may have been converted (from Hinduism to Islam) long ago...I don't know when. Still, you have no compassion and keep targeting us," he said.