'Ranya Rao hid gold wherever she had...': BJP MLA's jibe triggers controversy
Talking to reporters, Basangouda Patil Yatnal not only took a dirty dig at Ranya Rao but claimed he knew all the ministers involved in gold smuggling case
Basangouda Patil Yatnal, the controversial BJP legislator in Karnataka, who is known for his vulgar jibes, has sparked off a new row over his comments on Ranya Rao, the Kannada actor caught up in an alleged gold smuggling racket.
Ranya Rao was arrested at the Bengaluru International Airport while carrying a consignment of 14.2 kg of gold, worth ₹12.56 crore, on her person after she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight.
Also read: Karnataka: Ranya Rao's bail application rejected in gold smuggling case
Guilty to be held accountable
In a video which has gone viral, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, an MLA from Bijapur City, can be heard talking to reporters not only taking a dirty dig at the actor but claimed he knew all the ministers involved in the case. He said that he will name them in the assembly.
Yatnal told reporters that all the people found guilty had to be held accountable. “Can someone be defended because they are a central government employee?” he asked, referring to Ranya Rao’s stepfather Ramachandra Rao.
A DGP-level officer, he has denied any link to the gold seizure. However, he has been sent on"compulsory leave" days after his step-daughter's arrest. The DGP had said that he had no contact with his step-daughter after she got married.
In the video, Yatnal can be heard saying that there were lapses by customs officials, and “necessary action” should be taken against them.
Also read: 'Learnt how to conceal gold from YouTube': Ranya Rao tells investigators
Dirty jibe
And then went on to state in Kannada that “she (Ranya Rao) had gold all over her body, hiding it wherever she had holes, and smuggled it in."
Further, Yatnal said that he would name all the ministers who he claimed were involved in the case during the upcoming assembly session.
"I have gathered complete information about her relationships, who helped her obtain security (clearance), and how the gold was brought in. I will expose everything in the session, including which hole she hid the gold and brought," he added.
Earlier controversies
In the past, Yatnal has been in the news for targeting state unit chief BY Vijayendra, the son of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and had also called for the latter’s removal when he was the chief minister.
In 2023, he called Sonia Gandhi a "vishkanya" for which the Election Commission sent him a notice.
In 2020, Yatnal said those who don't want a wedding scheme for poor women from minority communities to be scrapped should “go to Pakistan". Also, he branded a old freedom fighter as a "Pakistani agent" for his stand on the citizenship law.