Karnataka BJP lawmaker: If I were Home Minister, would order intellectuals to be shot

BJP MLA from Karnataka Basanagouda Patil Yatnal made audacious comment at the Kargil Vijay Diwas event on Thursday,  saying India faces grave danger from intellectuals and secularists. He also termed them as anti-socials. The lawmaker even went to the extent of saying that “If I were Home Minister, would order intellectuals to be shot”.

Calling that secularists and intellectuals are harmful for the country, he would have ordered to shoot all the secularists who, in his views are anti-socials. Yatnal’s claim to fame is that he had served as the Union Textiles and Railways minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government from 2002 to 2004.

He further added, “These people (intellectuals) live in this country and use all the facilities for which we pay tax. Then they raise slogans against the Indian Army. Our country faces grave danger from intellectuals and secular than anyone else.”

Yatnal, a tainted political leader, best known for his mindless comments had earlier also created controversies by urging the local party municipal members not to help Muslims and to facilitate Hindu’s only. Defending his statement, Yantal retorted saying that it is not un-parliamentary to speak in favour of Hindus. JD(S) and Congress have jointly asked for action against Yantal.

Yatnal served as BJP MLA between 1994 and 1999. He was also elected as BJP MP from Bijapur between 1999 and 2009. However, in 2010, Yantal quit BJP and joined Janata Dal (Secular), only to quit a year later from JD(S) too and become an independent MLC. Not satisfied with his stand alone role, Yantal joined back BJP in 2013.