Karnataka BJP MLA Basangouda Yatnal's 'Muslim Or Christian' Dig At Rahul Gandhi Triggers Row

Karnataka BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal has sparked yet another controversy, this time by questioning Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's caste and religious identity.

Yatnal, the BJP representative from Bijapur City Assembly Constituency, openly raised doubts about Gandhi's lineage, demanding an investigation to clarify his caste and religion, reported India Today.

Photo Credit: https://x.com/BasanagoudaBJP

The MLA said, "Rahul Gandhi wants to conduct a caste survey, but he doesn't even know which caste he was born into. He doesn't know if he was born to Muslims or Christians. That should be investigated."

Yatnal's remarks come in the context of Rahul Gandhi's strong advocacy for a nationwide caste census, a key issue the Congress party has championed, particularly in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Gandhi had promised that if Congress were elected to power, they would implement a nationwide socio-economic caste census to better understand the various castes, sub-castes, and their socio-economic conditions across India.

However, Yatnal took aim not just at Gandhi's policies but also at his Brahmin identity. He questioned whether Gandhi truly belongs to the Brahmin caste, saying, "If he claims to be a Brahmin, which Brahmin does he belong to? Is he a Brahmin who wears the Janivara (religious sacred thread)? What kind of Brahmin is he?" Yatnal went on to mock Gandhi by likening him to a "country pistol," adding, "In India, you have country pistols, and Rahul Gandhi is like a country pistol, nothing will prosper because of him."

This isn't the first time the issue of Rahul Gandhi's caste has been brought up in political discourse. During the Parliament's Monsoon Session in July 2024, BJP leader Anurag Thakur made a veiled dig at Gandhi while discussing the caste census, remarking, "The one whose caste is not known is talking about the census."

Thakur's comment, although indirect, drew criticism from Congress and other members of the INDIA bloc, the opposition alliance in the Parliament.

Yatnal is no stranger to controversy, and this latest remark adds to his long list of provocative statements.

In December 2023, he caused a stir by claiming that Jawaharlal Nehru was not India's first Prime Minister, asserting that Subhash Chandra Bose held that title instead.

He also predicted that the Congress-led government in Karnataka would collapse within 6-7 months due to internal conflicts, claiming that BJP would expose rampant corruption in the state.

In addition to his controversial political rhetoric, Yatnal has previously made communal remarks.

In August 2023, he compared Muslims to Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century ruler of Mysore, and urged people not to vote for Muslim leaders.

This statement too, like many of his others, drew widespread condemnation from various political and social groups.