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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Bihar CM removes hijab from newly appointed doctor's face at govt event, stokes controversy
Patna (PTI): A newly recruited AYUSH doctor in Bihar was taken aback on Monday when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled the hijab (veil) off her face, while she was receiving her letter of appointment.
The incident, a video clip of which has gone viral on social media, took place at ‘Samvad’, the CM's secretariat, where appointment letters were given away to more than 1,000 AYUSH doctors.
PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
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According to the CMO, the appointees included 685 Aurveda doctors, while 393 were Homeopaths and 205 practised the Unani system of medicine.
Out of them, 10 appointees were handed over job letters by Kumar, while the rest got those online.
When it was the turn of Nusrat Parveen, who had turned up wearing a hijab across her face, the 75-year-old CM frowned and exclaimed "what is this?".
The chief minister, who stood atop a raised platform, then bent down and pulled the hijab down.
The flustered appointee was, thereafter, hastily pulled aside by an official present on the occasion, while Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, who stood beside Kumar, was seen tugging at the latter's sleeve, in an apparent bid to restrain him.
Meanwhile, opposition parties like the RJD and Congress shared the video clip on their social media accounts, and claimed that the incident was the latest proof of the JD(U) supremo's "unstable mental health".
A video showed Nitish Kumar pulling down a doctor's hijab after handing over an appointment letter to her at a Patna event. The video, which is going viral on social media, has sparked widespread outrage.#NitishKumar #Hijab #ViralVideo #IndiaTodayShorts pic.twitter.com/NdCzNgz8bY
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 15, 2025
