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Did U T Khader stop a cleric from delivering discourse?

Office-bearers of the administrative committee, Hydrosa Jumma Masjid, Sujeer Malli, Pudu, have felt besmirched, following the last-minute cancellation of a religious discourse by cleric Ahmed Kabeer Baqavi. 

Baqavi, who was scheduled to deliver a discourse on March 10 at Sujeer Malli, cancelled the visit three days into the event, thus hurting the sentiments of the Masjid Committee in particular and also the community in general.

Secretary of the committee Abubakker Siddiq told media on Thursday, Baqavi agreed to deliver a discourse to raise funds to buy a site for a burial ground in the village, but changed his stance on March 7, three days ahead of the event. He sent a voice message on WhatsApp through his agent Andoor on March 7, only to catch people unawares. 

Baqavi expressed his inability to attend the discourse, owing to an event in his house, although the committee had confirmed his participation 48 days in advance, which was yet another reason to feel vexed about change in stand of Baqavi.

Local MLA

Siddiq, with Ashraf, a fellow-villager, suspected the role of local MLA and state Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader behind the withdrawal by Baqavi. The duo, who initially sounded reluctant, owed it to ‘invisible hands at play’. They later pointed their fingers at Khader, as Saleem another agent of Baqavi at Bekal, in Kasargod district, had mooted a question in this regard.

When the committee members, accompanied by Andoor, called on Saleem, the latter questioned them whether they had omitted the name of U T Khader in the invite. The committee members clarified, stating they had not invited any politician as the event was devoid of any neta, irrespective of party.

Conspiracy

However, it was sufficient to bother the committee members, who felt insulted and pained, as Saleem questioned them earlier too, over somebody from the same district (Dakshina Kannada) conspiring against the visit of Baqavi.

Siddiq, who claimed to have toiled hard day and night to ready the ground for the event spending not less than Rs six lakh by raising donations from villagers, called it as nothing but embarrassing. 

What rubbed salt on their wound was that Baqavi himself had offered to pay Rs 1.5 lakh towards the expenditure incurred for the event.

Reacting to a particular query over the minister exerting influence over Baqavi, Siddiq did not challenge the possibilities, as the cleric had delivered a discourse at the invitation of Khader in the past.