Bengaluru court issues non-bailable warrant against BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal

Bengaluru: A Bengaluru special court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant against BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for his failure to appear in court regarding his statement about Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao's family.

As it is a non-bailable warrant, the police can arrest Yatnal any minute now. The BJP leader had failed to attend the court in a case filed against him by Tabassum Rao, Dinesh Gundu Rao’s wife.

While speaking to the media in April about the National Investigation Agency’s probe into the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, Yatnal said, “There is half Pakistan in Dinesh Gundu Rao’s house.”

Yatnal’s remark followed Rao's post on X (formerly Twitter) about NIA investigation developments. The BJP leader’s statement attracted widespread criticism and backlash.

Tabassum Rao filed a complaint at the Sanjay Nagar police station expressing disappointment over Yatnal’s statement. An FIR was filed under IPC Section 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration).