Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan kicks up another row with ‘racist’ remark about Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy-OxBig News Network

Karnataka’s Minister of Housing, Waqf and Minority affairs B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan
| Photo Credit: File photo

Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan allegedly remarked about the colour of the skin of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy while talking about the by-elections to three constituencies in Karnataka.

Mr. Khan is already facing flak for the wakf controversy that has snowballed into a big issue now in Karnataka. On November 10, he landed in another controversy while campaigning for Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwar in Channapatna.

Up until the by-election, C.P. Yogeshwar was an MLC of the BJP. He quit the BJP after being denied the ticket to contest the Assembly by-election, which was necessitated by the resignation of Mr Kumaraswamy on being elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandya parliamentary constituency. The BJP allowed Mr Kumaraswamy to nominate a candidate from the Janata Dal (Secular) for the by-poll. Mr Yogeshwar declined an offer to contest as the JD(S) candidate. Instead, he joined the Congress, which gave him a ticket to contest the by-election.

While addressing a rally at Channapatna on Sunday night (November 10, Mr Khan explained the reason for Mr Yogeshwar not contesting on the Janata Dal (Secular) ticket. “C.P. Yogeshwar did not go to JD(S) because kalia (the black man) Kumaraswamy is worse than BJP. After going with BJP, Mr Kumaraswamy is planning to buy Muslim votes. Instead, Muslims will pool money and buy your (Mr. Kumaraswamy’s) family.”

Playing a purported audio clip in which a man says he would not seek votes from Muslims, the Housing Minister asked the crowd, “Who is saying this? The kala (black) Kumaraswamy.”

Mr. Khan’s cabinet colleague Raheem Khan, former Bengaluru MP D.K. Suresh and Mr. Yogeshwar were by his side when he was addressing the rally at Channapatna.

In the past too, Mr. Khan has made remarks on the colour and appearance of Mr. Kumaraswamy.

Union Minister Kiren Rijju took to social media platform ‘X’ to condemn Mr. Khan’s statement. “I strongly deplore Congress Minister Zameer Ahmed calling Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Karnataka H.D. Kumaraswamy as ‘kalia Kumaraswamy’. This is a racist remark, same as Rahul Gandhi’s advisor calling South Indian looks as African, North East as Chinese and North Indians as Arabs.”

BJP veteran B.S. Yediyurappa also expressed dissatisfaction with the remark.

The JD(S) reminded Mr. Khan that the family of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had ensured his political growth. “The arrogance of money and power will not stay too long. Your comment on skin colour shows your dirty mindset,” the JD(S) posted on social media.

Listing out Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Cabinet ministers H.C. Mahadevappa, Satish Jharkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Raheem Khan, K.J. George and K.H. Muniyappa, the JD(S) asked: “What skin colour do they all have? How does it matter whether skin colour is dark or light?”

The party urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to dismiss Mr. Khan from the Cabinet.