New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Karnataka stoked up a controversy as he dubbed the liberals and intellectuals as ‘anti-nationals’. He also said that he would have ordered the police to shoot them if he was Karnataka home minister.

MLA from Vijaypura, Basangouda Patil Yatnal termed liberals and intellectuals as anti-nationals.

He said “these people (intellectuals) stay in the country and use its facilities, something which we pay tax for”. He further asserted that “After this they raise slogans against Indian Army. Our country has maximum risk from these intellectuals and liberals, than anyone else.”

The above statements came from the MLA on the occasion of Kargil Day.

Before this the MLA stirred up a controversy when he asked the regional party consulars to ‘not help the Muslims’.

Yatnal has been BJP MP between 1999 and 2009 from Bijapur.

In 2010 Yatnal left BJP and joined JD(S). After one year he left JD(S) and became an independent MLA; and returned back to BJP in 2013.