If Yatnal cannot prove my links with terrorists, will he go to Pakistan? Sayed Tanveer Hashmi
BJP leader Yatnal had accused AIMPLB member Hashmi of being ISIS sympathizer
Bengaluru: In what has turned into a major controversy, former Minister and senior BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has stirred controversy by leveling serious allegations against Sayed Tanveer Hashmi, also known as Tanveer Peera, a prominent Sufi and spiritual leader from Bijapur Sharif, a Sufi shrine in Karnataka.
Yatnal, via his official Twitter account, accused Hashmi of being a terror sympathizer with alleged links to terrorist groups. The BJP leader further implicated Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, claiming he shared the stage with Hashmi during a conference of Muslim scholars in Hubballi, thereby implying the Chief Minister's association with ISIS supporters and terror sympathizers.
In a tweet, Yatnal said, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shared the dias with ISIS supporters and Terror Sympathizers yesterday at Hubli. Tanveer Peera is a Terror Sympathiser who has links with Terror Outfits across the Middle East." He called for intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate Hashmi's accounts and recent visits to the Middle East, sharing images of Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, with Hashmi, insinuating Congress's alignment with terrorists.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shared the dias with ISIS supporters and Terror Sympathizers yesterday at Hubli.
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) December 6, 2023
Tanveer Peera is a Terror Sympathiser who has links with Terror Outfits across the Middle East.
Attached Images are his recent visits to the Middle East meeting the… pic.twitter.com/zvuwBNWXRn
Yatnal also attached some of the images of Hashmi meeting Arabs, claiming that he was “meeting the Terror Sympathizer and Radical Islamic Operatives.”
#CongresswithTerrorists pic.twitter.com/BBL1K9oIJH
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) December 6, 2023
Rejecting the allegations, Syed Tajuddin Qadri, the organizer of the conference, questioned Yatnal's motives and urged him to present evidence to the police rather than making baseless claims on social media. Qadri said that Hashmi, a Sufi scholar, had a clean record, including organizing the 2016 Sufi World Conference attended by Prime Minister Modi.
“Tanveer Hashmi is not just a scholar. He is a Sufi. Making baseless allegations like this in public is not right. In 2016, he was one of the organisers of the Sufi World Conference. Even PM Modi had attended that conference, why was Yatnal silent then? Why didn’t he speak then if what he is saying is true?” Qadri told reporters on Wednesday.
“Hashmi had even attended an event recently to mark Kanaka Jayanti. He is someone who is above the religious lines. He comes from a reputed family, he was born in Vijayapura and has been involved in several social work and services. To defame a person like that with baseless allegations is not right,” Qadri said.
Hashmi himself vehemently denied the allegations, challenging Yatnal to prove them within eight days. He expressed readiness for any investigation into his links and finances, asserting his commitment to opposing and condemning terrorist activities worldwide. Hashmi questioned the authenticity of the attached photos, explaining they were from his visit to a shrine in Iraq, not a meeting with terrorists.
Sayed Tanveer Hashmi
“I am ready for any kind of investigation into my links and finances. I have nothing to hide and I challenge Yatnal to prove my links with terror outfits and his allegations within eight days. Will he go to Pakistan if he fails to prove his allegations? I challenge him,” Hashmi said.
“I have been opposing and condemning terror outfits and their activities across the world. The allegations Yatnal is making is baseless and absurd. He has attached photos stating that it was from my meeting with terrorists. Its funny that those photos have been taken from my own Facebook account. It was from my visit to Iraq to a shrine in 2013. The officials of Iraq government and the chief priest of the shrine are the people in the photos, not terrorists.
Asked about his next course of action, Hashmi said his team was exploring legal action and a team of lawyers was looking into the matter. He said they were mulling strict legal action against Yatnal for his allegations.
Amidst the controversy, pictures of Hashmi with Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari surfaced on social media, indicating that leaders from both the Congress and BJP had visited Hashmi.
Tanveer Hashmi, belonging to the Hussiani Hashmi Family, is a patron of various academic, social, and religious activities of Sufi Sunni Muslims in India. Recently appointed as the President of Jamaat E Ahle Sunnat, Karnataka, he also leads the Al Hashmi Educational Welfare & Charitable Trust, providing Islamic and formal education. Hashmi is the President of the Muslim Muttahida Council (MMC), a consortium of Muslim organizations, and a member of the Muslim Personal Law Board.
In response to the allegations, Hashmi expressed his commitment to social work and services, mentioning the broad spectrum of political and social leaders who visit the shrine for blessings, including Yatnal during his JD(S) days.
“When Yatnal was in JD(S) he himself used to regularly visit our shrine and meet me. After joining BJP, he stopped. Several political and social leaders visit our shrine to take the blessings,” Hashmi said.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
