A case has been registered against BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal for making offensive remarks regarding first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with regard to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, police said on Thursday.
Police said that the Congress filed a complaint on Wednesday accusing Yatnal of making offensive comments regarding Nehru. In the complaint, Congress leaders alleged that Yatnal has not only insulted Nehru but also tarnished the legacies of freedom fighters by asserting that Nehru was involved in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
The complaint followed Yatnal’s remarks on Monday in Hubballi in which he said: “Godse fired one bullet to Gandhi but in autopsy three bullets were found in body. The remaining two bullets might have been fired by Jawaharlal Nehru’s men as he wanted to become a dictator. The Congress centenary convention has no links with freedom fighters as it was organised by fake Gandhis.”
S Manohar, general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), led the complaintants, calling Yatnal’s statements “baseless” and “unforgivable.” He emphasised that remarks alleging Nehru’s complicity in Gandhi’s assassination perpetuate harmful misconceptions among the public and go against the spirit of respect for freedom fighters who sacrificed for the country’s independence.
{{/usCountry}}S Manohar, general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), led the complaintants, calling Yatnal’s statements “baseless” and “unforgivable.” He emphasised that remarks alleging Nehru’s complicity in Gandhi’s assassination perpetuate harmful misconceptions among the public and go against the spirit of respect for freedom fighters who sacrificed for the country’s independence.
{{/usCountry}}He further said that the party has demanded immediate stringent legal action against Yatnal for spreading “false propaganda” and for undermining the historical significance of figures like Nehru, who played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle.
“The KPCC office bearers filed complaint which we registered. The BJP leader made remarks while speaking with reporters at Hubballi and we will forward the complaint to respective police station in Hubballi,” High Grounds police inspector N Bharath told HT.
In response, state BJP media wing coordinator Karunakar Khasale told HT: “It has become a habit of Congress leaders to file complaints against opposition leaders for even small things. They do this by misusing official machinery as they are in power to suppress the voice of the opposition.”