Khader distances self from Zameer’s Muslim Speaker comment

NT Correspondent

Dakshina Kannada: Assembly Speaker UT Khader on Saturday reacted to Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan’s statement by clarifying that the post that he occupied had nothing to do with religious faith and identity.

A day prior, Zameer had said in a speech in poll-bound Telangana that Congress had given “respect” and representation to Muslims.

“No one (Muslim) had become the Speaker in the history of Karnataka but Congress appointed UT Khader. Today, even the biggest BJP leaders should say ‘sir namaskar’ to him. Who made that possible? Congress,” he said.

The Opposition BJP and JD(S) had taken exception to the speech with the former asking Zameer to retract and apologise for the remarks. Speaking to mediapersons in Mangaluru on Saturday, Khader sought to distance himself from the speech of his party colleague.

“I’m everyone’s Speaker. The post can’t be seen through the prism of political affiliation, caste and religion. It is a constitutional post above all that. "The people who shower respect on me aren’t doing so because I’m UT Khader. It is to the constitutional post and the Speaker’s office,” Khader said.