“I beg pardon of the people of the State for not taking oath in Kannada,” Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Zameer Ahmed Khan said here on Saturday.
After seeking the blessings of the 111-year-old seer of Siddaganga Mutt, Shivakumara Swami, he told reporters “It was not a deliberate attempt to take the oath in English as I am unable to read Kannada properly.” He said his parents sent him to an English medium school and Kannada language was not compulsory during that time and hence he does not to read Kannada properly.
He said if people feel it was done deliberately, “let them punish me and hang me.”
Asked about the Congress high command going by the direction of Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, Mr. Zameer Ahmed said that there is nothing wrong in taking the advice of a former Prime Minister. Whenever there was a problem in the State, people used to take Mr. Gowda’s guidance, he said.
Former MLA Rafiq Ahmed, district president of Congress Kenchamaraiah, party’s spokesperson of Tumakuru Rajesh Dodmane and other leaders were present.