Amidst the ongoing skirmishes between Kannada and Marathi language supporters in Karnataka, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal on Monday tried to divert the attention by communalizing the issue in the state Assembly session in Belagavi.
Speaking on the retaliatory spell of violence in Belagavi, Yatnal, BJP MLA for Vijayapura, alleged that there is a conspiracy to break the country behind the rift between pro-Marathi activists and pro-Kannada activists. He said there will be no Kannada and Marathi if the country itself doesn’t exist. “There will only be Urdu boards in the country,” Yatnal remarked.
He further attempted to divert the issue and asked why those who oppose Hindi do not oppose Urdu. While his bigoted rants were met with strong objections from MLAs Rizwan Arshad, NA Haris and UT Khader of the opposition, BJP members raised the slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad said Yatnal was deliberately dragging the Muslim community and Urdu language to divert the issue. He said Yatnal’s statement was uncalled for and without any substance. He accused the BJP MLA of being a “habitual bigot who spews communal venom, targets minorities, and abuses freedom fighters.”
In 2018, Yatnal created a row by making controversial remarks against Muslim voters of his constituency.
Yatnal had asked BJP councillors not to do any work of Muslims in their wards.
“I have instructed BJP corporators not to do any work of Muslims,” in a video that had gone viral.
