Karnataka minister gives clarification amid 'Kalia' controversy

Bengaluru:

Amid the massive controversy over his alleged racist remarks against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan has said that he had affectionately called the JDS leader “Kalia” and that if the comment had upset him he would Ready to apologize.

The minister said this is not the first time he has used this word for HD Kumaraswamy. “Why is it such a big (issue)? If I had told him so for the first time, I would have apologised. In those days when we were close friends, Kumaraswamy used to call me Kulla (dwarf) and I used to call him Kariya.” (Darkness). If Kumaraswamy or anyone else has been hurt, I will apologize to them,” the minister told the media.

Mr Khan, a five-time Congress MLA, is a Congress minister in the Siddaramaiah-led state government and holds the housing, Waqf and minority welfare departments. He was campaigning for Congress's CP Yogishwar in Channapatna assembly constituency. Mr Yogeeshwar, who had defected to the BJP, has returned to the Congress and will take on HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil in the upcoming by-election. Channapatna Assembly seat had fallen vacant after sitting MLA Mr. Kumaraswamy was elected to the Lok Sabha.

Speaking about Mr Yogeshwar's return to the Congress, Mr Khan said, “Due to some differences in our party, he contested the elections as an independent. He had no option but to join the BJP. He joined the JD ( S) because 'Kalia Kumaraswamy' was more dangerous than BJP, now he has come back home,'' the state minister said.

The comment drew a sharp reaction from the JDS, terming it a “new low in political discourse”. “The nation strongly condemns the derogatory and racist remarks made by Zameer Ahmed against HD Kumaraswamy. Such hateful language brings a new low in political discussion and has no place in a civilized society. We demand accountability from those leaders. demands that choose divisive attacks instead of constructive dialogue,” the party said in a post on Twitter.

BJP leader and Mr Kumaraswamy's colleague in the Central government, Kiren Rijiju, condemned the remarks and used the occasion to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “I strongly condemn Congress Minister Zameer Ahmed calling Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Kumaraswamy 'Kalia Kumaraswamy'. This is a racist comment, just like Rahul Gandhi's advisor calls South Indians Africans, North East As Chinese, North Indians, as Arabs,” he said.