Justice M. Nagaprasanna condemned the remark for implying that the entire Muslim community in India is Pakistani, despite their citizenship and allegiance to India.
Karnataka: The Karnataka High Court criticized BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for calling State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao “half-Pakistani,” allegedly because Rao’s wife is Muslim.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna condemned the remark for implying that the entire Muslim community in India is Pakistani, despite their citizenship and allegiance to India.
“What is this? Just because he is married to a Muslim, you call him half-Pakistani? Why say such things? You can’t label an entire community like that. They live here,”
the judge remarked.
Advocate Venkatesh Dalwai, representing Yatnal, noted that the MLA had issued a clarification the next day. In response, Justice Nagaprasanna criticized the increasing frequency of such statements.
“This is unacceptable, sir. I encounter these types of remarks every day,”
the judge said.
Justice Nagaprasanna also questioned the MLA’s choice to make a personal attack and advised restraint.
“Why make it personal? I won’t stay this for now. Appear before the trial court. I see this in every case. Encouraging restraint is important,”
he added.
The Court made these remarks while reviewing a petition filed by Yatnal to dismiss the proceedings against him for his ‘half-Pakistani’ comment.
The controversy began during the Lok Sabha elections when Yatnal said, “There is a Pakistan in Gundu Rao’s house, so it’s his habit to make anti-national statements.”
Following the incident, a Bengaluru Court took notice and ordered the filing of a criminal defamation case against him.
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Advocate Dalwai argued that the order taking cognizance was flawed and needed to be revised.
The High Court agreed that the accused should have been heard before the cognizance was taken.
Justice Nagaprasanna clarified that while the Court would not issue a stay on the case, it would direct the lower court to revisit the matter.
The judge criticized Yatnal’s statement, saying,
“What a statement you have made? You have implicated an entire community.”
The Court decided to re-list the case for hearing on September 23.
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