Muslim cleric sparks row with remarks about cow sacrifice in

A Muslim cleric has kicked up a controversy in Karnataka with remarks made in the presence of a minister that cows will be sacrificed during Bakrid festival in the state where cow slaughter is banned.

The cleric made the purported remarks in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Shivanand Patil during his sermons on the occasion of Ramzan prayer at Vijayapura in north Karnataka two days ago.

Tanveer Hashmi is the head of Hashim Pir Dargah at Vijayapura, a popular Muslim shrine.

The video of his purported remarks has gone viral.

The minister chose to remain quiet after Hashmi made the controversial remarks.

"Let me bring to your notice, in two months time there will be Bakrid. In the name of cow, this satan (devil) will do a mischief. I am telling you (the minister) this beforehand so as to ensure that with the cow another sacrifice does not happen," Hashmi said in his speech in Urdu.

The cleric's remarks came days after a purported video of former Union minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal asking corporators to work only for Hindus, who voted for him, and not for Muslims went viral on social media.

"I had called all corporators and have told them that they should work for Hindus who have voted for me in Bijapur and not Muslims," Yatnal is purportedly heard saying in the video.

"I had said no to Muslims initially....I had instructed my people that those with topi (cap)) and burkha should not come and stand in my office or beside me," he had said.

Flaying the cleric for his "inflammatory" speech, social activist Ritu Rathaur questioned the silence of political leaders over it.

"This is really Shameful...!!! Cleric Tanveer Peera Hashmi pontificates that they will start #CowSlaughter again! What is emboldening peacefools so much?Political Patronage by all political leaders? And is this the respect they have for Hindu Sentiments? Disgusting!" Rathaur tweeted.

Hindu right wing activists also took to social media to condemn the cleric's comments, calling it not only provocative and aimed at instigating cow slaughter but also meant to foment communal disharmony.

"All this has happened in the presence of a Congress minister suggests that the present JDS-Congress coalition is hands-in-glove with extremist elements and the majority community are left to fend for themselves," said Akshay Narangin a post published in HYPERLINK "http://rightlog.in" portal.

Narang said minority appeasement was the norm under the previous Siddarmaiah government.

"However, it seems that the appeased community has now been emboldened and its extremist sections are free to do anything they want with absolute impunity," he added.