Court orders registration of criminal case against BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal
Yatnal had said half of Pakistan stays in Dinesh Gundu Rao's house
Bijapur: The Hon’ble Special Court constituted to try MP and MLA cases (42ACMM) has directed the registration of a criminal case against BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal. This decision follows a private complaint filed by Tabassum Dinesh Rao, who alleged that Yatnal made defamatory remarks targeting her and her family.
The complaint stems from a statement made by Yatnal during the Lok Sabha elections on 6 April 2024, where he addressed the media and made derogatory comments about Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao, the Hon’ble Minister for Health, Karnataka, and his wife, Tabassum Rao. Yatnal reportedly stated that "half of Pakistan resides in Dinesh Gundu Rao’s house," insinuating anti-national sentiments due to Mrs. Rao’s religion.
The inflammatory remarks were widely reported in the Praja Vani newspaper and by several regional Kannada media channels. The statement, which questioned the integrity and allegiance of Mrs. Rao to the Indian Constitution and laws, caused severe distress to her and her family, including their two daughters.
Yatnal, who has a history of making derogatory remarks against Muslims, allegedly referred to Mrs. Rao as "Pakistani" due to her Islamic faith and her inter-religious marriage. The complaint highlighted previous instances, including a speech on 6 March 2024, during the Shivaji Jayanthi celebrations, where Mr. Yatnal allegedly stated that if he were the Home Minister, he would organize encounters to eliminate all Muslims in Vijayapura.
In response to these remarks, a private complaint seeking the registration of a case for offences under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was filed on 15 April 2024. Evidence was presented before the court on 31 July 2024, including newspaper reports and other materials.
After considering the evidence and the content of the private complaint, the Hon’ble Special Court has now taken cognizance of the case and ordered the registration of a criminal case against Yatnal. Advocates Surya Mukundaraj and Sanjay Yadav B. represented Tabassum Rao before the court.
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Fan tries to die by suicide over Nikhil Kumaraswamy's bypoll loss
Bengaluru: Channapatna JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who lost the byelection to C.P. Yogeshwar of Congress, on Sunday consoled a fan who reportedly attempted to end his life and requested him not to repeat such acts.
Manjunath, fondly called Abhi, had even penned a letter before taking the dangerous step. Nikhil, who called on Manjunath at the latter’s home in Kudloor in Channapatna, expressed shock and sadness over the incident.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy reassured Manjunath, expressing his support during the difficult time. He told him that he was deeply troubled to learn of this incident and emphasised that he would stand by him. Nikhil also promised to offer assistance in any way he could, including helping him secure employment opportunities in the future, as reported by the Deccan Herald.
He also reminded Manjunath of the importance of his children’s well-being, urging him to focus on their future. “Please, look at the faces of your growing children. Even I have a three-year-old son. The children are young, let us take care of their future also. I will arrange some job opportunities for you. I might not be an MLA but this is a challenge. I will get you employed,” he said.
Nikhil told media persons that he is extremely hurt more by Manjunath’s attempt to die than by his loss in the election. “At 7:30 a.m., we got a message that in Valetoopu, Manjunath had consumed poison yesterday. In Channapatna, our workers and leaders have built this party with zeal. Let the admiration be there in your hearts but if it crosses the line, your families get hurt and we get very pained by it,” he was quoted as saying by the publication.
Speaking of his byelection loss, Nikhil reiterated that the JD(S) had got its traditional votes, but that the votes of a particular community went against the party.
“Deve Gowda gave reservation to a community. We tried our last attempt to take that community into confidence. But they conveyed to us that they do not require us. In future, we will take other communities into confidence,” he remarked in a veiled reference to Muslims.
Nikhil lost the election by a margin of 25,413 votes to Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwar.
