VIJAYAPURA: Hitting out at MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for making derogatory remarks against Muslim women, District Minister M B Patil said he will discuss with the chief minister, home minister and law minister on taking strong legal action against the expelled BJP leader.
Yatnal’s habit of making irresponsible, derogatory and inflammatory statements must be stopped, he told reporters after participating in the Independence Day programme on Friday.
Yatnal had recently announced Rs 5 lakh for Hindu boys to marry Muslim girls. The statement received wide-spread criticism and Muslims in particular have demanded strong action against him from the Congress government.
“Whatever Yatnal has said is highly condemnable and extremely disgusting. It only shows his cheap and nasty mindset towards women. Being in a responsible position, he must desist from issuing such disgusting and outrageous statements that could cause communal tension,” Patil said.
He said nobody will object to Yatnal if he criticises the government on development or the Congress for that matter. But Yatnal is bringing women and religion to play dirty politics which is certainly unacceptable, the minister retorted.
Patil wondered that despite being born in Vijayapura district — the birthplace of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara — and having the name of the saint, Yatnal talks ill about women and religion. He said Yatnal is not ready to correct himself even after being sacked from the BJP for issuing such derogatory statements aimed at creating communal divide. “I will not keep quiet and will discuss the matter with the home and law ministers to take strong action against Yatnal,” he said.
On Congress leader and advocate Asifullah Khadri also issuing similar derogatory remarks against Yatnal, the minister said he does not endorse the statement of Khadri. However, he said such a reply was expected when Yatnal talked ill about Muslim women and hurt their religious sentiments.
Patil also criticised Yatnal for raising the issue of Khadri in the ongoing Assembly session. “Due to heavy rain, people of the city are suffering. Instead of meeting them, listening to their woes, Yatnal raises irrelevant issues in the Assembly,” Patil said.