Karnataka Government's Land Transfer to Minorities Welfare Sparks New Controversy

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has issued an order that land belonging to the Animal husbandry department should be handed over to the minorities welfare department. The land measuring two acres is located in Chalavadipalya ward on Mysuru road in Chamarajpet assembly constituency.

The order states that WAKF and Minorities Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan instructed land to be transferred to the Minorities Welfare Department. The government in its order has also mentioned that the land will be used for the construction of Maulana Azad/Moraji Desai schools.

Background

Republic on investigation has learnt that the two acres of land were donated by Muthoji Rao Sindia for a Veterinary hospital in 1936. Since then Veterinary Hospital has been run by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services catering to the needs of Dairy farmers in and around Chamrajpet locality. This hospital is also the taluk hospital headquarters for Bengaluru South Taluk.

In this premises Animal birth control centre for stray dogs is also located.

Mohan Gowda Spokesperson for the Hindu Janajagruthi Samithi speaking to the Republic said "We condemn this and yet again this is a move by the government to appease the minorities and to keep their vote bank intact. We will protest against this order by the government and all this is happening in Chamarajpet even though there are several acres of WAKF land they want to build a Maulana Azad school here, why? I demand the government to withdraw the order."

Government's bizarre stand

Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minister for Housing, WAKF and Minorities Welfare in the government order has said that "There is a veterinary clinic of the Animal Husbandry Department adjacent to Chaluvadhipalya Ward, Mysuru Road and Goodshed Road within Chamarajpet Assembly constituency. Therefore, it has been suggested that the veterinary clinic should be shifted to the outskirts of Bengaluru and used for educational purposes."

Further, Chamarajpet Assembly constituency has a minority population of about one lakh twenty-five thousand and there are no Maulana Azad model schools/morarji desai residential schools/hostels of the department within the constituency limits. There will be a high demand for hostels like Jain University, Bangalore Medical College and several other educational institutions that are functioning in the area claims Karnataka government.

Raghavendra Rao from the Maratha community speaking to Republic said "This land was donated by our ancestor to the then government to build a veterinary clinic but today it is being handed over to the minority welfare department. We will not tolerate this injustice. This land was given for the well-being of the animals but is now being used for something else, they can build hostels elsewhere. We will meet the concerned representative and speak to him."

BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minorities Welfare Minister told the Republic Media, “That hospital has not been used for a long time therefore land has been transferred. Therefore I wrote a letter asking for land to build Maulana Azad School and Moraji Desai School. We have taken it for educational purposes. Is giving education to kids a crime? I have no idea about it being donated by the Marathi community but the land was unused and therefore we have taken that land. Go and ask the animal husbandry minister about the donation of land.”

Meanwhile, the BJP slammed the government for playing the minority appeasement politics yet again. BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanswamy speaking to Republic said "The government is back to polarising votes of minorities ahead of Lok Sabha polls. I want to question the government how can they allot donated land to another department other than the purpose that it was donated for? This is the government's misuse of its power."

R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition, opposing the idea said, "The Rs 500 crore property of the animal husbandry department has been given to the minority department now. If the government wants to please the minorities they can buy or purchase land and give it to them. Why take land dedicated to the animal husbandry department? Where should the pets and domesticated animals of that area go?