BJP MLA Accuses Muslim Leader Tanveer Hashmi Of ISIS Links, Hashmi Refutes

Former Union Minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has accused Muslim leader Syed Tanveer Peera Hashmi of being an “ISIS supporter and sympathiser of terrorists,” urging the Union government to launch an investigation. Yatnal criticized Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for sharing a platform with Hashmi. However, Hashmi has refuted these allegations.

Tanveer Hashmi, the cleric of Bijapur Sharif in Vijayapura, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shared a stage at a Muslim religious conference in Hubballi on December 4. Yatnal, on December 6, alleged on social media that Hashmi is a known sympathizer of ISIS with connections to terror outfits in the Middle East. He wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting a thorough investigation by central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Yatnal shared photos claiming to show Hashmi with alleged terror sympathizers in the Middle East.

Responding to the accusations, Syed Tajuddin Qadri, head of Dargah Hazarat Badsha Peeran, questioned Yatnal’s intentions and urged him to provide evidence to law enforcement instead of making unsubstantiated claims. Qadri noted that Hashmi had organized the Sufi World Conference in 2016, attended by PM Modi, and questioned why Yatnal had not raised concerns then.

In an interesting turn, a report suggested that Yatnal and a relative of Hashmi are business partners, co-owning a hotel. CM Siddaramaiah, responding to the allegations, suggested Yatnal take the matter to the Union government, reminding him that his party is in power at the Union level.

Siddaramaiah, addressing the media on December 7, criticized Yatnal for engaging in anti-minority politics and urged him to prove his charges. On December 8, Siddaramaiah emphasized the need for the Union government, led by PM Narendra Modi, to investigate the accusations against Hashmi. If the claims are true, he urged action against Yatnal for making false accusations.