Let BJP MLA Yatnal prove his charge of Hashmi's terror link by getting central agencies to probe: CM
Bengaluru, Dec 7: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday challenged senior BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal to prove his charge that Muslim religious leader Syed Tanveer Hashmi -- with whom he shared the stage earlier this week -- is a sympathiser of terror group ISIS.
He also asked the BJP leader to get the matter investigated by the central agencies since his own party is governing at the Centre.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said he has known Hashmi for many years, and wondered why the BJP was "silent" during this time.
"Yatnal does the politics of hatred. He does anti-minorities politics. He should not do this to win elections. Further, he is a big liar. Now Hashmi has asked him to prove his charge. Let him do it. After all, his government is there at the Centre," Siddaramaiah said.
"His (party's) government is there for the past 10 years at the Centre. What have they been doing all these years?" he asked.
The chief minister claimed that Yatnal had tried to become the state unit president of the BIP and leader of opposition in the assembly but failed, "so he is making a baseless allegation".
Yatnal on Wednesday alleged that Siddaramaiah shared the dais with Hashmi, "a known sympathiser of ISIS".
"Tanveer Peera (Hashmi) 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 terror sympathizer and radical Islamic operatives," Yatnal, a former Union Minister, posted on social media platform X.
He also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "It has come to my knowledge that Peera (Hashmi) has previously met with radical Islamic outfit leaders in Middle Eastern countries. What is even more alarming is that this is not the first time Peera has met with the CM; they have had multiple encounters in the past," he said in the letter.
Further, the MLA claimed he has received credible information suggesting that Peera is bringing funds from Muslim countries with the intention of creating unrest in India.
"It is truly unfortunate that the CM either disregarded the advice of his personal security and intelligence or deliberately chose to meet Peera in order to further his own political agenda," Yatnal further claimed.
"I firmly believe that it is in the best interest of our country to have Peera thoroughly investigated by central agencies, as I suspect that the local police are colluding with the state administration to avoid taking any action against him," he added.
Claiming that this is a matter of grave national concern, Yatnal said it is imperative that NIA investigate it and take it to a logical conclusion.
Hashmi has denied Yatnal's charges and challenged him to prove his allegation.
I have written a letter to Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji to order @NIA_India enquiry into Tanveer Peeras Links with Terror organisations, his Transactions and his meetings with Terror Outfit Sympathisers. https://t.co/fJYWVrShgI pic.twitter.com/vqC8VtQ5ex
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) December 6, 2023
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
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
