Mangaluru :  BJP leader and former Chairman of Karnataka State Minorities Commission and Minorities Development Corporation Anwar Manippadi has urged the government to alleviate the sufferings of Muslim minority community in Karnataka saying they were being ill-treated.

In a letter to Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai on November 26, Mr. Manippadi said, “It is so disheartening to see our Government run by a party supposed to be a party with a difference – BJP and having trust and hope in our beloved Prime Minister Modi Ji’s concept of ‘Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas’ which here in Karnataka is not being practiced. It is so paining to know suffering of Muslims in Karnataka. I meet my Muslim Brethren and they complain that BJP run Government is ill-treating, harassing and threatening with dire consequences even if our action were legitimate and legally binding.”

Giving a few examples, Mr. Manippadi said the Muslim community in Doddanagamangala village in Bengaluru South taluk was unable to get a burial ground despite a court order in 2005. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Muslims had to take dead bodies to far-off places incurring huge expenditure to bury bodies, he said. There was no Muslim burial ground in the village and up to 6-7 km in surrounding areas.

The 2-acre land in Sruvey No. 5 was not given to Muslims despite proper allotment, he said. Notwithstanding prompt efforts by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner J. Manjunath, nothing has happened till date.

Giving another example of denial of burial ground in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, Mr. Manippadi said despite the government earmarking 20 cents of land abutting Badriya Jumma Masjid in Sampaje village, the land was yet to be allotted. In fact, the land for the Masjid as donated by Keelara Gopalakrishna Bhat, exhibiting Hindu-Muslim amity, he noted.

While the forest department had earlier given its clearance along with gram panchayat and other agencies, the forest development corporation was opposing the allotment along with some people from the Party itself.

It was not just one or two incidents; the government was even attempting to impoverish the rich Wakf Board too by supporting people accused of embezzlement to hold offices, Mr. Manippadi said.

He urged Mr. Bommai to take right decisions so that Muslims feel they were part of the Nation.