B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan’s patriotism unquestionable: Karnataka Minister on refusal to hoist national flag

“Karnataka’s Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan’s patriotism is unquestionable. The BJP is needlessly politicising his absence at the Independence Day celebrations in Vijayanagar district,” M.B. Patil said in Vijayapura on August 15. Mr. Patil is the Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development in Karnataka.

“Mr. Khan is a patriot. He had announced his willingness to join the armed forces, if necessary. BJP should not make baseless allegations against him. He has written a letter to the CM declining the post of district-in-charge minister. We should respect his decision. BJP leaders, who are going around saying his absence shows that he is anti-national, are needlessly politicising the issue.

“Studies have shown that no leader of the BJP or the Sangh Parivar had participated in the freedom struggle. Those leaders who are shouting slogans of Har Ghar Tiranga had refused to hoist the national flag in the RSS headquarters in Nagpur for several decades after independence. There is no need to learn patriotism from such people,” Mr Patil told reporters.