<p>Bengaluru: A day after KPCC’s Muslim office-bearers asked the party high command to initiate ‘sweeping action’ against all those responsible for allegedly trying to sabotage the party’s effort in the April 9 Davangere South bypoll, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said disciplinary action against party members must follow “due procedure”, even as he dismissed claims that the Congress had sidelined Muslim leaders.</p>.<p>Recently, the state Congress expelled MLC Abdul Jabbar and forced MLC Naseer Ahmed to resign as CM’s political secretary, over ‘anti-party’ activities.</p>.<p>Party leaders Saleem Ahmed and Rizwan Ahmed had alleged ‘sabotage’ by those miffed over the party giving ticket to Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of sitting Congress MLA, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, while denying ticket to a Muslim candidate, despite the community’s significant numbers in Davangere South constituency.</p>.Kumaraswamy dismisses rumours of Zameer Ahmed Khan joining JD(S).<p>“Be it Jabbar or Naseer Ahmed, there is a procedure to be followed. Naseer is a senior member. Like Satish Jarkiholi said, the party should have issued notice and waited for their reply, before taking action,” said Zameer.</p>.<p>When asked about the letter written by Muslim religious leaders to the Congress high command, expressing disappointment over the “treatment” meted out to Muslim leaders by the party <br />in Karnataka, Zameer said, “If religious leaders have expressed their opinion, what can I say?”.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said the Muslim leaders were present when the high command decided on the ticket and had agreed to it.</p>.<p>Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D K Shivakumar had said, “Nobody has a grudge. Party discipline applies equally to every member”.</p>.<p>Zameer dismissed speculations about rejoining JD(S), calling them “rumours”.</p>.<p>He said, “Why should I go back to JD(S)? The Congress has given me everything. In 2018, the party made me a minister in the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy and gave me five <br />portfolios, when I least expected it as there were other senior leaders like Roshan Baig, Tanveer Sait and N A Haris. While I was in JD(S), I was given only two portfolios — Haj and Wakf. In 2023, the Congress again made me a minister and gave me four portfolios. How can I forget all this? What more do I need?”</p>.<p>The minister also denied meeting Kumaraswamy.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: A day after KPCC’s Muslim office-bearers asked the party high command to initiate ‘sweeping action’ against all those responsible for allegedly trying to sabotage the party’s effort in the April 9 Davangere South bypoll, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said disciplinary action against party members must follow “due procedure”, even as he dismissed claims that the Congress had sidelined Muslim leaders.</p>.<p>Recently, the state Congress expelled MLC Abdul Jabbar and forced MLC Naseer Ahmed to resign as CM’s political secretary, over ‘anti-party’ activities.</p>.<p>Party leaders Saleem Ahmed and Rizwan Ahmed had alleged ‘sabotage’ by those miffed over the party giving ticket to Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of sitting Congress MLA, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, while denying ticket to a Muslim candidate, despite the community’s significant numbers in Davangere South constituency.</p>.Kumaraswamy dismisses rumours of Zameer Ahmed Khan joining JD(S).<p>“Be it Jabbar or Naseer Ahmed, there is a procedure to be followed. Naseer is a senior member. Like Satish Jarkiholi said, the party should have issued notice and waited for their reply, before taking action,” said Zameer.</p>.<p>When asked about the letter written by Muslim religious leaders to the Congress high command, expressing disappointment over the “treatment” meted out to Muslim leaders by the party <br />in Karnataka, Zameer said, “If religious leaders have expressed their opinion, what can I say?”.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said the Muslim leaders were present when the high command decided on the ticket and had agreed to it.</p>.<p>Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D K Shivakumar had said, “Nobody has a grudge. Party discipline applies equally to every member”.</p>.<p>Zameer dismissed speculations about rejoining JD(S), calling them “rumours”.</p>.<p>He said, “Why should I go back to JD(S)? The Congress has given me everything. In 2018, the party made me a minister in the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy and gave me five <br />portfolios, when I least expected it as there were other senior leaders like Roshan Baig, Tanveer Sait and N A Haris. While I was in JD(S), I was given only two portfolios — Haj and Wakf. In 2023, the Congress again made me a minister and gave me four portfolios. How can I forget all this? What more do I need?”</p>.<p>The minister also denied meeting Kumaraswamy.</p>
