'Unwarranted, uncharitable': Cong warns MLA Khan over controversial remarks

With Congress warning him for completely unwarranted and inessential statements, party MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan said he will abide by instructions and sought to know the "wrong" in his remarks

With the Congress warning him for his "completely unwarranted" and "inessential" statements, party MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan on Tuesday said he will abide by the instructions from the party leadership, but sought to know what was wrong in his remarks with regards to the Vokkaliga community.

Reminding about the "Lakshman Rekha" of the party's discipline and ideology, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, in a letter to Khan, has said that his recent public remarks are completely unwarranted and in poor taste.

"I have not got any notice (from the party), I have only heard about it in the media...yes, Surjewala spoke to me over phone and said not to continue it (making statements). He said that he has communicated the same to the President (KPCC chief D K Shivakumar) and I will abide by," Khan said.

Speaking to reporters in Davangere, he said Surjewala told him that certain statements made by him may cause damage to the party and not to continue with it.

However, questioning the need for him to apologise, Khan in response to a question, while highlighting his long association with the the Vokkaliga community and its mutts said, "If I have said anything wrong and hurt anyone, I'm ready to apologise, please tell me what is wrong in what I have said. I'm ready to apologise, if anyone tells me."

Khan's recent claims about Muslims outnumbering Vokkaligas in Karnataka has stirred a controversy, with it taking the shape of "community politics".

Considered to be a close confidant of Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, he had made this claim, while reacting to party state president D K Shivakumar's attempt to consolidate the Vokkaliga community.

Shivakumar, who is a Vokkaliga, had recently called on the community, which forms a major vote bank in the old Mysuru or southern Karnataka region, to support his chief ministerial bid.

Several Vokkaliga leaders from across party lines had objected to Khan's statement. There are reports that Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, a prominent Vokkaliga seer, has conveyed his unhappiness to Congress leaders in this regard.

Surjewala in his letter has said, "Unwarranted and uncharitable comments help no one except to create avoidable controversies and bitterness. Regrettably, your inessential public statements have ended up creating unnecessary fault lines."

He said no Congress leader should make remarks that go against the party's "foundational ideology" of "inherent inclusiveness away from the divisions of caste and religion".

Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have been engaged in a political one-upmanship for months now, as both are chief ministerial aspirants.

Khan has been repeatedly making open statements projecting Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister, in the event of the party coming to power after the 2023 Assembly polls, which has angered other aspirants, mainly Shivakumar.

Though Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that the party's newly elected legislators and high command will decide on who will be the chief minister, Khan has been repeatedly making such open statements in favour of his leader, ignoring warnings of disciplinary action, leaving the party virtually divided.

Reacting to the AICC letter to Khan, Shivakumar said, "I have seen about it through the media, I have got the information. They (party high command) will take whatever action has to be taken against whoever is concerned."

However, trying to downplay Khan's statements, Siddaramaiah said, "We will discuss about it in the party... I'm making it very clear, there is a procedure in our party, where MLAs in a democratic manner elect their leader and high command will decide, there is no need to worry about what someone says."

He said, as per his information, the Congress high command has already spoken to Khan with the matter ending there, and there is no need to discuss it again.