BENGALURU: Former minister Zameer Ahmed Khan’s supporters on Monday staged a massive demonstration, demanding the Deputy CM post for their leader. Police took some of them into preventive custody as they had a plan to take out a padayatra and picket Vidhana Soudha. The minister is making all-out efforts to join the DK Shivakumar cabinet in the next phase of expansion, likely after the June 18 polls to seven MLC posts.
Led by former councillor Imran Pasha, over 2,000 agitators gathered at Padarayanapura in Zameer’s Chamrajpet constituency and raised slogans in his favour. Police had a tough time tackling the situation and suggested that they hold protests at Freedom Park.
Bandobast with over 1,000 police personnel was done. Zameer’s supporters have earlier held similar protests across the state. An audiotape of Zameer’s alleged involvement in anti-party activities in the Davanagere South bypolls began circulating a day before DK Shivakumar was sworn in as CM on June 3, scuttling Zameer’s cabinet berth chances.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi told reporters in Vidhana Soudha that he had held talks with the CM and proposed Zameer’s name for the next expansion. “Last time there were two Muslims in the cabinet, and we insisted that this time three could be given cabinet berths, including one to Zameer. There is a need to increase the number because they (Muslims) are our core voters,” he said.