Latest news with #ZameerAhmedKhan
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
88th Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Ballari set to make history: Zameer Ahmed Khan
The 88th All-India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, scheduled to take place in Ballari this December, will create history, said Housing, Waqf, and Minority Welfare Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, who is also the district in-charge Minister for Ballari and Vijayanagara. He promised full support from the State government and the district administration to ensure the event's grand success. Chairing a preparatory meeting held at the central office of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the Minister stated that it was a matter of pride and good fortune for Ballari to host this literary gathering. He pledged the government's complete cooperation in providing the necessary infrastructure and support, promising a historic and memorable celebration of Kannada literature. The Minister stressed that the district administration will work in tandem with the Kannada Sahitya Parishat to facilitate the smooth and successful execution of the literary meet. President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Mahesh Joshi noted that five sammelanas were held in undivided Ballari district. He highlighted the significance of the event returning to Ballari after 68 years. He also told the meeting that the executive committee of the parishat had unanimously selected International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq as the president of the sammelana. Responding to it, Mr. Khan welcomed the decision by terming it as progressive. 'It was a proud moment for the Kannada literary world. Ms. Mushtaq would be the fifth woman and the first woman from a minority community to preside over the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. Hosting the sammelana in Ballari is a great honour and a matter of personal pride for me,' he said. Mr. Joshi presented a brief history of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the legacy of previous literary conferences. He emphasised the importance of upholding the historical and cultural significance of the sammelana. Deputy Commissioner Prashanth Kumar Mishra promised that the district administration would extend all necessary support to ensure the success of the event and expressed pride in Ballari being chosen as the host city. On the occasion, Mr. Khan, who became a life member of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat in 2012, was symbolically presented with a special membership card in recognition of his continued support for the cause of Kannada language and literature. Later, the Minister and senior officials of the Ballari district administration toured the interior and exterior of the Central Kannada Sahitya Parishat office. They expressed appreciation for the way the site harmoniously blends tradition with modernity.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Housing scam: Zameer Khan offers resignation if found guilty, opposition alleges corruption - The Economic Times Video
Karnataka Housing and Minorities Affairs Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan denied corruption allegations in his department and said he would resign if found guilty. The Opposition slammed the Congress-led state government over the viral audio clip and alleged irregularities in housing allotments.
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Appeasement politics resurfaces in Karnataka
Among the southern states, Karnataka has been continually seeing some noise or the other related to minority affairs in the State. The moves to bring in any welfare measure to make the government schemes look more inclusive and lend a stamp of affirmative action on them have been critically examined and vehemently opposed by the Opposition parties (read BJP). With its earlier move to reserving four per cent of public contracts for minorities still stuck with the Governor, who has sought President's approval for it, it is indeed a daredevil move by the Siddaramaiah government to introduce another scheme wherein minorities are to be provided with 15 per cent reservation in housing, which translates to a five per cent hike over the existing quota. Buoyed by a series of missteps taken by the Congress government in the Dakshina Kannada region where Hindu activism has been on the boil for quite some time now, the BJP naturally flayed the recent measure as 'appeasement' and accused the government of prioritising religion over welfare. Even though the government quickly clarified that it was a scheme in existence since 2019 and not an arbitrary move, the BJP propaganda machinery right from Delhi to Bengaluru did not stop their attacks. Moreover, as the Minority and Housing Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan informed, it was a recommendation made by the coalition government headed by the then Chief Minister, HD Kumaraswamy. However, the chaos has not subsided. One may argue that the government is using these tactics to sidestep the terrible times they are going through currently with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede still going nowhere. Yet, the Congress has never shied away from its pro-minority moves even if it has run the risk of being called excessively partial towards their committed vote banks, which the state Muslims have often turned out to be. In a milieu where religion is often seen as a counter-weighing factor to political decision-making, taking on a fiery Opposition that has never shied away from its aggressive posturing and response has negated many a public welfare measure, which the Congress government proposed over the years. This has become evident in Karnataka, ever since BJP ascended to power in 2008 and has grown from strength to strength to become a formidable political force. If the GOP thinks it is assuring the Muslim voters that they are always there for them, it is an infructuous effort as the largest minority in the state would never veer towards the BJP. If one sees it as a regular administrative action, all the game plans they seem to be having are already common knowledge for their rivals, who have, over the years, unabashedly raised the communal temperature on the other side to keep their vote bank under control. The truth is that the Congress government, despite the regularly reported tiff between the top two – Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar – faces no immediate threat from the Opposition, which is in no position to dethrone them. Moreover, the Congress has, in the recent past, never won two terms at a stretch anywhere in India and so they would rather bumble along, managing the BJP and its allies, doing what it does best. Till it is time to face the elections again.
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP accuses Minister's private secretary of running illegal resort near Taraka Dam
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday flagged a resort close to Taraka Dam in H.D. Kote and alleged that it was an illegal property run by the private secretary of Minister for Housing Zameer Ahmed Khan. The BJP State spokesperson M.G. Mahesh, in a release, said that as per the Records of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC), the ownership of the property was in the name of Sardar Sarfaraz Khan, private secretary to the Minister. Mr. Mahesh alleged that the resort was operating illegally and accused the owner of misusing his political position in operating a commercial property on an agricultural land 'without legal approval'. The property is in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) and the buffer zone of the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve and within the elephant conservation area, said Mr. Mahesh. He alleged that the resort constructed in the floodplain of the river in contravention of the Environmental Protection Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and agricultural land conversion regulations. The BJP called for a site inspection of the property and urged Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre and the Forest Department officials to initiate legal action against the property owner for violation of the law. The action of Mr. Sarfaraz Khan went against public interest as it threatens to damage the environment, forest biodiversity, and elephant corridors, said the BJP, calling for a thorough inquiry into the legality of the resort.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
15% minority housing quota not new, says Karnataka minister
Karnataka Housing and Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan on Friday defended the state cabinet's decision to increase reservation for minorities in housing schemes from 10 to 15%, saying the move is based on a recommendation made in 2019 and is not a recent or arbitrary decision. Housing and Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said the move is based on a recommendation made in 2019 and is not a recent or arbitrary decision (File photo) 'Decision to reserve 15% for minorities in housing schemes is not a decision taken now. The cabinet subcommittee formed in 2019 when HD Kumaraswamy was the chief minister in the coalition government had recommended it,' Khan said, responding to growing criticism from the opposition. He further clarified that the reservation percentage mirrors existing central policy. 'The central government already provides a 15% quota for minorities under housing schemes, as per the Sachar Committee report. There was a demand that the same should be given in the state. Therefore, the central model has been followed,' he said. The state cabinet approved the hike on Thursday, applying it to all housing schemes under the Urban and Rural Development Departments. The announcement sparked a sharp backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which labelled the decision 'unconstitutional' and accused the ruling Congress of communal appeasement and vote-bank politics. Khan defended the move on humanitarian grounds, pointing to the acute housing shortage faced by many minority families. 'The existing 10% reservation rate has been increased to 15. There are more poor families in the minority community and the number of homeless people has increased. Hence, there was a demand to increase the reservation rate,' he explained. He also cited a 2021 recommendation from the National Commission for Minorities, which had called for the implementation of a 15% reservation in housing schemes. 'Without understanding these factual points, the opposition parties are making unnecessary criticisms, which is not appropriate,' Khan added. Meanwhile, chief minister Siddaramaiah said his government's decision to enhance reservation for minorities under housing schemes in the state from 10 to 15% was in line with the Union government's guidelines. He termed the BJP's criticism of it as 'hypocritical and politically motivated', and asserted that his government rejects the politics of hatred and division being pushed by the opposition party. In a statement, he said this is based on the Prime Minister's 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities (2019), which clearly directs all Central and State implementing agencies to earmark 15%of physical and financial targets for minorities wherever possible. Reacting to it, senior BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa accused the Congress government of creating social divisions. 'This government is unnecessarily creating problems... But there is a limit to everything. So if they want to increase it, they should do it for everyone and all communities. This is not correct; that is why everyone is opposing it,' he said. State BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa echoed his father's concerns, taking to social media to term the move a form of religious favouritism. 'Reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional! @INCKarnataka in Karnataka has converted welfare into a marketplace for vote-bank politics. First, 4% quota in government contracts. Now, 15 per cent quota in housing schemes. Where does this appeasement end?' he wrote on X. He argued that the decision risks marginalising Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes by reducing their share of benefits. 'This is a dangerous attempt to institutionalise communal vote-bank politics. It not only robs SCs, STs, and OBCs of their rightful opportunities, but also sends a disturbing message that merit, backwardness, and constitutional principles are secondary to religious appeasement,' Vijayendra posted. With PTI inputs
