Karnataka: BJP loses lone muslim face

Bengaluru: In a setback to the Karnataka state unit of BJP, former minister and the lone Muslim face in the legislature party, Dr Mumtaz Ali Khan, gave up his membership of the upper House to join the Congress on Thursday, saying he was upset with the decision to project Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate. Speaking to media persons after joining the Congress here, he said: “The BJP announced Narendra Modi, the man behind the Gujarat pog rom, as its prime ministerial candidate. No human can tolerate this. I am frank. Muslims have to be saved and protected. So, I decided to forgo nine months in the six-year tenure (as MLC) and join the Congress.” Dr Khan said had Modi repented, people would have forgiven him. “Unfortunately, Modi did not repent, so we have to be united to oppose Modi,” he added. Besides Dr Khan, retired IAS officer Bala dev Krishna and former MLA Manohar Ainapur, too, joined the Congress.