KASARAGOD: Condemning the bulldozing of houses at Yelahanka near Bengaluru, Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama president Syed Muhammad Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal on Sunday urged the Karnataka government to implement development projects only after ensuring the rehabilitation of the evicted people.
“Samastha is not against development projects but it cannot condone the act of rendering the poor people homeless,” Thangal told reporters in Kasaragod, adding that the destruction of around 200 houses would pain every human being. “Evicting poor Muslims and Dalits before finding an alternative place cannot be justified. There should be urgent measures by the government towards this,” he said.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the Sandesha Yathra at Mangaluru later, Thangal said the journey had convinced him that people are with Samastha and will crush any attempt to harm the organisation. “Samastha represents true Islam and any attempt to smuggle in alien thoughts will be strongly opposed,” he said.
Karnataka Speaker U T Khader inaugurated the meeting. Kozhikode Qazi Syed Muhammad Koya Jamalullaili, Samastha secretaries M T Abdulla Musaliyar, Umar Faizi Mukkam, members of Samastha central mushawara and others attended the meeting.
The Sandesha Yathra, aimed at spreading the message of the Samastha International Conference, kicked off from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, Kerala ministers and senior leaders of various political parties had attended the reception accorded to the Yathra at various places.