Congress Muslim leaders announce resignation from party positions following demand by party workers

Muslim Congress leaders in Dakshina Kannada resign in protest of government's failure to address 'communal murders', sparking party turmoil.

Several Muslim leaders of the Congress in Dakshina Kannada, right from booth-level to state-level, on Thursday, announced their resignations from their party positions in protest of the government’s alleged failure to contain the series of ‘communal murders’ in the district and sidelining community leaders.

The announcement was made during an emergency meeting of party workers convened at Shadi Mahal in Bolara here, under the leadership of M.S. Mohammed, general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

As the leaders discussed waiting a few more days for the government’s response, angry workers forced them to announce their resignations.

District Minority wing president of the Congress, Shahul Hameed, told party workers that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had called him, urging community leaders not to take any hasty decisions. Mr. Hameed said that the CM told him the issue had reached the party high command as well and asked him to wait for some more time.

However, this statement did not go down well with the party workers, who rushed towards the leaders demanding immediate resignation.

Following this, the leaders announced that they would abide by the decision of the party workers. Leaders Suhail Kandak, Abdul Rauf, Mr. Mohammed, and Mr. Hameed were among those who announced their resignations.

Soon after the burial of Abdul Rahiman, who was murdered by miscreants at Ira Kodi on May 27, several Congress leaders from the Muslim community announced that they would resign from their party positions.