Karnataka: BJP MLA Basangouda Yatnal booked over alleged provocative remarks

BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal faces legal action after a case was filed against him at the Roza police station in Kalaburagi for allegedly making provocative remarks that could incite communal tension. The complainant accuses Yatnal of offering a cash reward to Hindu men marrying Muslim women.

Kalaburagi: BJP MLA from Vijayapura City, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, has landed in legal trouble after a case was registered against him for allegedly making provocative remarks that could disturb communal harmony. The FIR, filed at the Roza police station in Kalaburagi, comes in the wake of his controversial statement promising Rs. 5 lakh to any Hindu youth who marries a Muslim woman.

The complaint was lodged by Khidmat-e-Millat Committee president Junaid Khureshi, who accused Yatnal of inciting Hindu youths and targeting a specific religious community. The case has been booked under Sections 196, 299, 353(1)(c), and 353 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.

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According to the FIR, Khureshi visited the police station on August 12 at around 10:30 p.m. and submitted a typed statement in English. In it, he alleged that Yatnal has, over several years, repeatedly made speeches aimed at dividing communities, singling out a particular religious group and damaging public peace.

The complaint cites Yatnal’s speech in Koppal on August 11, where he publicly announced a cash incentive of Rs. 5 lakh for Hindu men who marry Muslim women. Khureshi stated that this declaration was a direct attempt to provoke one community while targeting another, thereby creating the potential for serious law-and-order disturbances in Kalaburagi and other parts of the state.

The FIR notes that such statements could encourage division and hatred, further straining communal relations. Police have taken up the matter for investigation and are examining the speech, along with its potential impact on public order.

Yatnal’s remarks have sparked widespread political and public debate, with critics calling them inflammatory and supporters defending them as a personal opinion. The case is likely to add fuel to an already heated political atmosphere in Karnataka.