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Bengaluru court issues summons to BJP MLA Yatnal over alleged incendiary comments against Karnataka minister
Complaint was filed by Tabu Rao over alleged incendiary comments made against her husband and Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundurao
A special court for public representatives in Bengaluru has ordered the initiation of defamation proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on a complaint filed by Tabu Rao over alleged incendiary comments made against her husband and Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundurao.
The complaint stems from a controversial statement made by Yatnal during a Lok Sabha election campaign in Vijaypura on April 4. He accused Gundurao of harbouring anti-national sentiments, saying, “More or less, half of Pakistan is in Gundurao’s house. Making statements against the country has become an addiction for Gundurao.”
Outraged by these remarks, Tabu Rao lodged a complaint at the Sanjay Nagar police station in Bengaluru on April 7.
Along with her complaint, she presented several pieces of evidence, including press reports to the court to support her case.
The complaint specifically requested the registration of a case under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertain to defamation.
On Thursday, the court, after considering the evidence and the seriousness of the allegations, directed to issue summons to Yatnal.
The alleged comments from Yatnal revolves around the NIA investigation into the Rameshwaram Café blast case on March 1. The agency had brought in Tirthahalli BJP leader Saiprasad for questioning in connection with the blast case.
At the time, Dinesh Gundurao had taken to social media, questioning the BJP’s role and accountability in the blast, given that a party leader had been detained for questioning.
Gundurao said, “What will the saffron leaders of the state say now that our government is being blamed for the explosion? Does the fact that a BJP leader has been taken into custody by the NIA mean that the BJP is involved in the Rameswaram Café blast?”
“The state BJP leaders, who have hastily blamed the Congress government for the Rameswaram bomb blast without considering national security, must now provide answers,” he added.
Yatnal, responding to these developments, repeated his controversial statement, further escalating the situation.
In response to Yatnal’s remarks, Tabu Rao strongly condemned the statement on April 8 and labelled it as derogatory and defamatory.
Rao emphasised that while she was born a Muslim, her Indian identity should not be questioned, and called on the Election Commission of India to take action.
She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda to address the issue and take action against what she termed as “a routine culprit.”
