A file phote of B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, Chamrajpet MLA and Housing Minister in Karnataka, holding the national flag.

| Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K

Housing Minister and Congress leader B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan has come under attack from the BJP ahead of the Independence Day for writing to Karnataka’s Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar seeking exemption from the responsibility of hoisting the national flag in Vijayanagar district to mark Independence Day celebrations.The Chief Minister had assigned his ministerial team with the responsibility of hoisting the national flag in different districts. Mr. Khan had been allocated Vijayanagara district for hoisting the national tricolour.However, Mr. Khan has written to the Chief Minister stating that he was not in a position to take up the responsibility of being the district in-charge minister as he needed to focus on the party organisation with respect to preparations for the forthcoming polls to various local bodies, including the GBA and Assembly by-polls. He has indicated in the letter that he was asking the Chief Minister to relieve him from such a responsibility as he lacked time to serve as district in-charge minister along with focusing on polls.Pointing out that he had also been told to assess the drought situation in the district, the Minister said he had already submitted the report to the government.The opposition BJP took serious exception to the Minister seeking to opt out of the responsibility of hoisting the national flag. Referring to Mr. Khan’s letter, Mr. Ashok said, “He claims he that has no time because he is too busy focusing on local body elections, upcoming by-elections, and internal political party work.”He said this was an absolute disgrace to our Constitution and a direct insult to millions of Indians. “How can a sitting Cabinet Minister consider the sacred duty of hoisting the national flag on Independence Day as a burden when compared with party politics?”.“For Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan and the Karnataka Congress, political power, election strategy, and party loyalty will always take priority over national pride, our freedom fighters, and the sacred tri-colour,” he remarked in a social media post. Published - August 14, 2026 04:20 pm IST