Belagavi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for his recent allegations linking a prominent Muslim Sufi preacher, Syed Tanveer Hashmi, also known as Tanveer Peera, to terrorist activities.
The Chief Minister, speaking at Belagavi Suvarna Soudha, challenged Yatnal to substantiate the claims and initiate a thorough investigation into the matter.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that the BJP has been in power at the Centre for the past 10 years and questioned why Yatnal had not raised these concerns earlier. He emphasized his longstanding positive relationship with Tanveer Peera, calling Yatnal's accusations baseless and politically motivated.
Accusing Yatnal of engaging in hate politics and anti-minority tactics for electoral gains, Siddaramaiah cautioned against using such tactics merely for winning elections. He labelled Yatnal as a "big liar" and highlighted that Tanveer Peera had challenged the BJP MLA to prove any connections with terror outfits.
The Chief Minister suggested that Yatnal's allegations might be a result of his failure to secure leadership positions within the BJP, claiming that the MLA had attempted to secure the Leader of the Opposition and party state president posts. Siddaramaiah dismissed the accusations as a desperate attempt to tarnish his image.
Yatnal had previously alleged that Tanveer Peera had connections with the ISIS terror outfit and questioned Siddaramaiah's decision to share the stage with him at a religious convention in Hubballi on December 4.