Bengaluru, June 25 (IANS): Karnataka Minister for Housing, Minority Welfare, and Waqf, Zameer Ahmed Khan has stirred a controversy by stating that Congress candidate Sagar Khandre won only because of Muslim votes from the Bidar Lok Sabha constituency.

He added that Sagar Khandre has to do the work of the community out of compulsion.

Minister Zameer had made the controversial remark while attending the Waqf Adalat programme in Bidar on Monday and its video went viral on social media on Tuesday.

Zameer stated, “Sirf aur sirf Muslim vote se Sagar Khandre jeete hain. Hamara kaam jhak maar ke karna padta hai. (Sagar Khandre won only because of Muslim votes. He has to do our work out of compulsion).”

Zameer made the statement while discussing the allocation of government land for a burial ground in an area with a large Muslim population.

“I will speak to the Minister for Forests, Eshwar Khandre, about this. Eshwar Khandre’s son, Sagar Khandre, won the election only because of Muslim votes. He shall do our work. I will get it done,” he reiterated.

Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition, R Ashoka, posting the video on social media platform X, slammed, “Karnataka Congress Minister BZ Zameer Ahmad Khan says the newly-elected MP from Bidar, Sagar Khandre, won only because of the Muslim community's votes and hence his father, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, must ensure that the Muslim community’s work is done. This is how Congress wants to save democracy.”

Minister Khan had previously landed in controversy by saying that the Congress made a Muslim, UT Khader, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly before whom the “best of the best” BJP leaders bow and say “Sahab Namaskar.”

Minister Zameer is a close confidant of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Sagar Khandre, the 26-year-old Congress candidate won the Bidar seat by defeating former Union Minister of State, Bhagwant Khuba of the BJP by a margin of 1.29 lakh votes.