Would Have Got Intellectuals Shot If I Were Home Minister: BJP Lawmaker

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker from Karnataka has stirred controversy by saying that he would have ordered the police to shoot intellectuals, had he been the Union Home Minister.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, an MLA from Vijayapura, also branded liberals and intellectuals as "anti-nationals".

"These people (intellectuals) live in this country and use all the facilities for which we pay tax. Then they raise slogans against the Indian Army. Our country faces grave danger from intellectuals and seculars than anyone else," Mr Yatnal said at a Kargil Vijay Diwas event on Thursday.

The lawmaker had earlier courted a controversy when he told a local party municipal members to not help Muslims.

Intellectuals live in this country&use all facilities for which we pay tax.Then they raise slogans against our Army.India faces grave danger from them.If I was Home Min,I would have issued orders to shoot them:Basanagouda Patil Yatna,Karnataka BJP Leader in Vijayapura (26/7/2018) pic.twitter.com/kxxGUKdSvC

- ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2018

Mr Yatnal was a BJP MLA between 1994 and 1999. Between 1999 and 2009, he served as the MP from Bijapur.

Under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Mr Yatnal served as minister of state for Textiles and Railways between 2002 and 2004.

In 2010, Mr Yatnal had quit the BJP to join the Janata Dal (Secular).

A year later, he became an independent MLC after quitting the JD(S).

However, Mr Yatnal returned to the BJP in 2013.