Yatnal brands Gundu Rao’s family Pakistani, draws ire

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: BJP MLA from Vijayapura Basangouda Patil Yatnal waded into controversy when he said that half of Health Minister Dinesh Gundo Rao’s family was Pakistani.

He was referring to the fact that Rao’s wife Tabassum was a Muslim. Dinesh and his wife both hit back at Yatnal, pointing out that he was a “habitual offender”.

Yatnal was responding to Gundu Rao’s remarks that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had questioned a Shivamogga district-based BJP worker Sai Prasad in the Rameshwaram Café blast case in the city that injured 10 persons.

“Gundu Rao’s house is half Pakistan. There is a Pakistan in his home. So he is addicted to issuing anti-national statements,” Yatnal said.

He also defended the BJP worker who was questioned by the NIA, claiming that he merely sold his mobile to a shop owner who sold the cell phone to one of the accused persons in the case.

Tabassum hit back at Yatnal, calling the statement defamatory. “Yatnal’s remark that Dinesh Gundu Rao's house is half-Pakistan is simply cheap, derogatory and defamatory. I was born a Muslim, but you can’t question my Indianness,” she said, calling upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda to act against Yatnal.

Gundu Rao slammed Yatnal, pointing out that this wasn’t his first time saying something offensive.

“A mad MLA named Yatnal of the Bharatiya Brasht (corrupt) Party keeps saying whatever comes to his mind. I don’t use divisive and cheap language like him,” Gundu Rao said.