India News | Separate Development Corpn for Jains in Karnataka Soon: Minority Affairs Minister

Bengaluru, Mar 10 (PTI) Karnataka Minister for Waqf and Minority Affairs B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan on Monday told the Legislative Assembly that the government will ensure the creation of a separate development corporation for the Jain community in the state in the days ahead.

Responding to a question by Congress MLA Laxman Savadi during the 'Question Hour' in the Assembly, he said that a proposal in this regard has been placed before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for necessary approval.

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"After becoming minister, I got a survey done. There was a feeling that the Jain community in the state were those who came from Rajasthan and that they are about 4 lakh. After the survey it came across that they are about 20 lakh in number, which includes 4.75 lakh who have come from Rajasthan and are settled in the city's surroundings," Khan said.

Kannada speaking Digambara Jains are settled in Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Vijayapura and surrounding areas. They are about 15 lakh in number, he said.

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"I have already placed a proposal before the chief minister for creating a separate corporation for the Jain community. We will try and ensure that it happens at the earliest," he added.

MLA Savadi said the Congress was given a hand symbol during Indira Gandhi's time by Jain monk Vidyanand Maharaj, and the party government should ensure creation of a separate development board for the community.

Noting that Digambara and Svetambara are two main sects of Jainism and they are satvik vegetarians and don't consume onion and garlic, he said, students from these communities living in hostels don't get the satvik food these days.

"So it is important to constitute a separate development corporation for the Jain community, and until then a separate hostel should be set up for the community," he said.

BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal alleged that the minister thinks only of Muslims as minorities and has neglected Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists. "Zameer Ahmed Khan has allocated 80 per cent to Muslims."

Responding to it, Khan asked why BJP while in power, did not create a separate corporation for Jains or got the survey done.

"I'm not doing politics... according to the population, Muslims are 14 per cent, Jains are 1 per cent, there are Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, all communities are there...," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)