Karnataka: 'Let Haj Bhavan be renamed after Abdul Kalam ji', says Yeddyurappa

Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa on Sunday said that let Zameer Ahmed rename the Haj House in Bengaluru after Abdul Kalam Ji.

Speaking to ANI, Yeddyurappa said,''I will tell you one thing. Let him name it after Abdul Kalam Ji.''

Earlier, Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmad had raised the issue of re-naming of the state Haj House as Tipu Sultan Haj Ghar.

Khan said that during a recent review meeting of the Haj committee, officials told him there were several requests to change the name of the Haj Bhavan which accommodates Haj pilgrims.

The BJP opposed the proposal to rename the Haj Bhavan, saying it was a building for the entire Muslim community and not just for Tipu's followers.

The Rs 87-crore three-storeyed Haj Bhavan in Hegde Nagar, off Thanisandra road, in north Bengaluru has 100 rooms, set up for Haj pilgrims. It was hailed as the first of its kind in the country when it was inaugurated in 2016.

The saffron party, which opposed celebration of Tipu Jayanthi by the previous Congress dispensation, also claimed that the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP government had given funds for the construction of a new building for the bhavan.