Date: 01 August 2026

(Saturday)Location: Hubballi, KarnatakaMembers of the Muslim community and several religious leaders held a protest demanding greater representation for Muslims in the Karnataka Cabinet. The protesters urged the Congress leadership to allocate five ministerial berths to Muslim representatives.A key demand raised during the protest was the appointment of MLC Saleem Ahmed as a Cabinet Minister, particularly to represent the Kittur Karnataka and North Karnataka regions.Religious scholars and community leaders stated that a memorandum and letters were sent to the Congress high command, requesting fair political representation for the Muslim community. They argued that North Karnataka has not had a Muslim Cabinet Minister since Jabbar Khan Honnalli, and called for balanced representation in the state government.Some speakers at the protest expressed dissatisfaction over what they described as inadequate representation of Muslims in the Cabinet. They also warned that if their demand for five ministerial positions is not considered, a section of Muslim voters may reconsider their support for the Congress Party in the 2028 Assembly elections.The Congress Party has not officially responded to these specific demands at the time of reporting.Reported by: Mohammed Sadiq SavanurHDMC NEWS