Yatnal is no stranger to controversies. His latest remark has stirred protests by Muslims in Bijapur's Almela town.
Published Aug 18, 2025 | 8:15 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 18, 2025 | 8:15 PM
Bijapur MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal Credit: x.com/BasanagoudaBJP
Synopsis: Yatnal is no stranger to controversies. Last year, he stoked a row by calling Rahul Gandhi “anti-national” and questioning his caste and religion. He went ahead and even demanded a probe to determine the LoP’s faith.
Tension gripped Almela town in Karnataka’s Bijapur district on Sunday, 17 August, when a group of Muslim youth staged a protest against MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who was expelled from the BJP for six years for indiscipline in February.
The protest was against the lawmaker’s controversial statement, announcing a “₹5 lakh reward” for Hindu youth marrying Muslim women.
Several Muslim youth rushed in front of his convoy and waved black flags to condemn his remarks. The police immediately intervened and detained the protesting youth.
The incident briefly created tension in Almela, as several Muslim women also staged a protest against Yatnal’s statement. They, too, were taken into preventive custody.
The protests took place against the backdrop of the murder of a Hindu youth in Koppal recently, after which Yatnal made the inflammatory remark. An FIR was lodged against him.
The complaint was filed by Khidmat-e-Millat Committee president Junaid Khureshi, who accused Yatnal of inciting Hindu youths and targeting a specific community. The case has been booked under Sections 196, 299, 353(1)(c), and 353 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.
Khureshi stated that this act was a direct attack on the secular and social fabric of the society which can create serious law and order issues in Kalaburagi and other parts of Karnataka.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev).
