Bengaluru: The Independent Chickpet candidate K. G. F. Babu has lost in this Assembly election. After this, Babu has asked the mosques to return the money and cheques given to them.
Babu, who was the richest candidate among the contestants in this election, asked for the cheques to be returned by placing an advertisement in an Urdu newspaper.
Yusuf Sharif alias KGF Babu, who contested as an independent candidate in the Chickpet Assembly Constituency, gave cheques worth Rs. 17.30 Crore to around 64 mosques. Babu has given a advertisement in Urdu newspaper stating the mosques should not use the money given by him. Committees were informed that it was unacceptable money, and the cheques need to be returned as soon as possible.
Referring to the fatwa issued by Islamic organisation Darul Uloom,Babu said that money received from politicians during elections is not acceptable. Many mosque committees, including Masjid-e-Atik at Tank Garden in Siddapura and Masjid-e-Husna at Krishnappa Garden, have been asked to return the cheques given by Babu and not to use them.
Babu, who was in the Congress, contested as an independent candidate in Chickpet as he did not get a ticket. He promised to build 300 houses for the slum people. Around Rs. 300 Crore to fulfill the promises was made in their Manifesto for the development of Chickpet. He said that he will spend his own money. However, KGF Babu lost the election.
Mavalli Masjid Secretary Qadir Ahmed Sharif has condemned this move and expressed his anger against Babu. Babu has targeted the mosques of Chickpet by buying a fatwa from the local Maulvi. He himself invited all the mosques and held a grand ceremony at Haq House in S. R. Nagar and distributed the cheques. Then he said that this is a donation and can be used for the development of mosques. However, now he is asking to return the cheques given after losing the election.
Babu, who was suspended from the Congress and contested as an independent in Chickpet, had to settle for the third position. While sitting MLA Uday Garudachar won for the second time from BJP, R. V. Devaraj who contested from Congress lost. Uday Garudachar got 57,299 votes while Devaraj got 45,186 votes. KGF Babu, a Independent candidate, was also responsible for the defeat of the Congress candidate by getting 20,931 votes.