‘Reverse love jihad’ remark: No coercive action against Yatnal, says Kalaburagi bench of HC

VIJAYAPURA: In relief for Vijayapura city MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the Kalaburagi bench of the Karnataka high court has, in an interim order, said no coercive action should be taken against him in the case of his remarks on ‘reverse love jihad’.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, during a speech at Koppal on August 11, had announced that he would give Rs 5 lakh to Hindu youths who marry Muslim girls. Following this, cases were registered against him in Koppal, Vijayapura and Kalaburagi based on complaints from Muslim leaders.

Yatnal had approached the Kalaburagi bench of the high court seeking to quash the complaints. A single-judge bench of Justice M I Arun Kumar, which heard the petition, has ordered interim protection from arrest.