Mangaluru: Justifying the proposed Use of Govt Premises and Public Property Bill, health and family welfare, minority welfare, haj and waqf minister UT Khader Saturday said the state govt takes all decisions strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the law.“The Congress govt, chief minister DK Shivakumar, cabinet members, and opposition leaders will discuss everything. We will take decisions in a manner that does not cause any trouble to the public. When it comes up for discussion in the coming days, the Congress govt will never take any decision that harms the common man or goes against the Constitution and the law,” he told reporters here.Responding to the opposition’s demand to dismiss minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan over his letter on not taking part in the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony in Vijayanagara district, Khader said the BJP should understand the real intention behind it.Calling Zameer Ahmed Khan “a true patriotic leader”, Khader said he has perhaps lived as an exemplary citizen of the country, contributing to communal harmony and showing patriotism on all occasions.“Owing to certain reasons, when he could not attend today’s programme, the words he wrote in the letter might have fallen short, and he must have expressed it in that sentiment. You have to understand the real intention behind it; that intention was certainly not negative,” Khader said.On a query about the chief minister accepting Khan’s letter, Khader said they had assigned him the location believing he would participate.“In the eleventh hour, because he could not travel there due to unavoidable reasons, he wrote an official letter requesting someone else to be appointed. Leaving aside his true intent, taking these two written words and politicising them is not right,” Khader said.Stating that everyone in the country possesses patriotism, Khader said everyone has contributed to society and nobody can question Zameer Ahmed Khan’s patriotism.Khader also asserted that Khan has no discontent over the portfolio allotted to him.“The chief minister, and the AICC president discussed everything among all of us, and decisions were taken with everyone’s agreement. There is no discordant note anywhere; we are all completely united,” he added.On the gutka ban controversy, Khader said packets containing pan masala mixed with nicotine, tobacco and gutka are available in the market.“We have banned this. Apart from that, if plain pan masala comes separately, we have no issue with it,” Khader said.However, the minister avoided a query on allegations that the govt yielded to pressure from industrialists and withdrew the ban.“This (ban) will not cause any harm to arecanut growers or arecanut traders. Back in 2014, when I banned gutka, there was a similar discussion. At that time, I said the price of arecanut would increase, not decrease. Following that, the price of arecanut did rise. Now, to see whether the price of arecanut will increase or decrease because of this, we must wait at least three months,” Khader said.
