‘A dangerous signal’: Islamic scholars slam Karnataka Congress for action against minority leaders

Weather ePaper Today’s Paper Journalism of Courage Home ePaper Politics Explained Opinion India Business Premium Cities UPSC Entertainment Sports World Lifestyle Tech Subscribe Sign In TrendingUPSC OfferIPL 2026US NewsPuzzles & GamesLegal NewsFresh TakeHealthResearch🎙️ Podcast Advertisement function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript() { if (window.jQuery) { // jQuery is loaded, include your script jQuery(document).ready(function($) { // Your existing script for checking window width if (window.innerWidth) var page_w = window.innerWidth; else if (document.all) var page_w = document.body.clientWidth; if (page_w > 1024) { $(".add-left, .add-right").show(); } else { $(".add-left, .add-right").hide(); } }); } else { // jQuery is not loaded, check again after 0.2 seconds setTimeout(checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript, 200); } } // Initial call to the function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript(); NewsCitiesBangalore'A dangerous signal': Islamic scholars slam Karnataka Congress for action against minority leaders ‘A dangerous signal’: Islamic scholars slam Karnataka Congress for action against minority leaders Ulama-E-Karnataka has condemned the Congress leadership's decision to penalise MLCs Naseer Ahmed and Abdul Jabbar following the Davanagere South bypoll, warning that the move has caused "despair" within the community. By: Express News Service3 min readBengaluruApr 16, 2026 04:08 PM IST Ulama-E-Karnataka said the Muslim community is not happy with the decision of CM Siddaramaiah (File photo). Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT The decision by the Karnataka Congress leadership to act against MLCs Naseer Ahmed and Abdul Jabbar over alleged attempts to sabotage the party’s prospects in the Davanagere South bypoll has drawn backlash from Islamic scholars. Condemning the move, Ulama-E-Karnataka, a body of scholars, said Thursday that the move has caused both disgruntlement and despair among the community. The Ulama-E-Karnataka held a news conference announcing it would meet with community members “to discuss appropriate measures to uphold the interest, honour and dignity of the community”. A section of Muslim leaders, including Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, has come under fire following the April 9 polls, along with the two MLCs. Jabbar resigned as the chairman of the KPCC minority department last week and was stripped of the party’s primary membership on April 15. As action against Naseer, he was removed as the political secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a position he had held soon after Congress came to power in 2023. It is speculated that action was also likely taken against Khan. Action against the two MLCs has sent “a negative and dangerous signal to minority communities, especially to Muslims”, Mufti Ifthikar Ahmed Qasmi, president of Jamiat Ulama Karnataka, said. “The Muslim community in Karnataka is unhappy about the decision of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress high command. We are surprised at the silence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge when such a serious injustice is meted out to the community,” he said. Defending Naseer Ahmed, he said that the MLC was a core committee member of the Bagalkot bypoll, held simultaneously with the Davanagere South bypoll, and worked at the segment level to ensure the Congress candidate’s victory. “The developments post the polls have only increased our grievances against the Congress party and the AICC secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala,” he said. He recalled that Ulemas had held multiple meetings with party leaders, including Kharge and Siddaramaiah, to ensure a ticket for a Muslim candidate from the segment. “Since minorities are in large numbers at both Davanagere South and North constituencies, it was only just to field one Muslim in at least one constituency. We have demanded a ticket from the constituency for many years,” he added. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram