Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the fiery rabble-rouser BJP MLA from Karnataka’s Vijayapura, finds himself in the crosshairs of the Muslim community once again. He has been warned that if he does not roll back his call for a “Waqf Hatao, Desh Bachao” rally on November 6, an alleged CD with incriminating evidence ‘exposing him’ will be released to the public.
This alleged threat was issued by a group of local Muslim leaders in Vijayapura, led by Advocate SS Quadri.
Yatnal has called for a “Waqf Hatao, Desh Bachao” rally on November 6, following a major protest on October 16.
The Muslim leaders have warned the legislator to stop his provocative statements against the Muslim community or face exposure publicly. Yatnal has been known for his consistent stream of anti-Muslim remarks, which have stirred discontent in a region already sensitive to religious tensions. Vijayapura, formerly Bijapur, though a Hindu-dominated constituency (67 per cent), also has a considerable Muslim population (36 per cent).
Quadri has said they will release a video exposing Yatnal’s true character if he continues his inflammatory speeches, and will seek help from courts.
“His statements have been provocative, spreading disharmony and making baseless and demeaning accusations against the Muslim community. This will not be tolerated. This is not a threat or perceived as blackmail. It is an act to expose the truth and demand accountability,” Quadri told News18.
Yatnal had approached the special court for people’s representatives in Bengaluru in 2019 seeking a stay on any material, print, video or audio that may be released in the media that could tarnish his image or political life, said Quadri.
“If everything is clear as he claims, why not take back that case? We are seeking an order from the honourable court to vacate this stay. We are warning him, he should stop making such statements against the community or face us,” he said.
Yatnal’s List of Controversial Statements
This is not the first time Yatnal has targeted the Muslim community. Earlier, in February 2023, during the state assembly polls, he openly declared that people must not vote for Muslims, framing the election as a fight between the legacies of Tipu Sultan and Shivaji Maharaj. Yatnal portrays himself as a descendant of Shivaji, a symbol of Hindu pride, while positioning Tipu Sultan as a symbol of Muslim rule.
The statement had caused quite a stir, and the BJP high command had issued a gag order on the leader.
A known rabble-rouser within his own party, he has a long history of controversial statements and actions, particularly targeting Muslims, and his rhetoric has often been considered vitriolic. His anti-Muslim stance reached a new height when he blatantly declared, “Not a single vote should be cast for a Muslim,” during a public event in Vijayapura.
Yatnal had said, “All MLAs ask me, in your constituency, there are one lakh Tipu Sultans (Muslim votes), but how is it that Shivaji Maharaj’s descendants (meaning Hindus) will win from Bijapur?….. going forward in Bijapur, none of the followers of Tipu Sultan will win. Only descendants of Shivaji Maharaj will win. Yes, or no? Even by mistake, you should not cast your votes for Muslims.”
Yatnal’s controversial remarks are not new. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he attacked Islamic practices, calling for “noiseless Fridays and bloodless Bakrid,” angering many in the Muslim community.
The senior leader has also been vocal in his opposition to former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his son BY Vijayendra, often criticising their leadership style and dominance within the BJP. Yatnal has accused them of running the BJP like a family business and has openly challenged their influence within the party.
Yatnal was in the race for LoP as well as the state president but was overlooked mostly because of his vehement opposition to Yediyurappa and his family, according to party sources.
A two-time Member of Parliament, he also held ministerial positions at the national level, including Minister of State for Textiles (2002-2003) and Minister of State for Railways (2003-2004). Since 2018, he has represented the Bijapur City Assembly constituency and has been a two-time MLA.
He was suspended in 2015 from the BJP for six years for not withdrawing his nomination as an Independent candidate. In that election, he won along with SR Patil of the Congress. He briefly left the party in 2010 to join the Janata Dal (Secular), only to return after failing to secure the party president post within the JD(S).
Despite this, Yatnal was reinducted into the BJP in 2018 on the instruction of a very senior BJP leader as his strong ties with the Lingayat community and his growing influence as a hardline Hindu nationalist would prove effective for the BJP in the region. Yatnal continues to push his communal agenda, as he faces mounting pressure from the Muslim community in Vijayapura.
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