Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal has kicked off a major controversy just a day after Congress’s Belagavi convention, raising questions if Jawaharlal Nehru was behind Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination since his body has three bullets but “Nathuram Godse had only fired one”.

“One bullet fired by Godse hit Gandhi, but his body had three bullet wounds. Where did the other two bullets come from? Who was responsible for them? Did Nehru orchestrate it? “I suspect Nehru arranged Gandhi’s assassination because he wanted to become a dictator,” he claimed on Monday.

“Gandhi did not breathe his last due to the bullet fired by Godse. Even during court proceedings, questions arose about the origin of the remaining two bullets. Godse fired one, but the other two were fired by others. This indicates Nehru’s involvement in Gandhi’s assassination,” he added.

Criticising the Congress, Yatnal stated that today’s Congress leaders have no connection to Gandhi. He labelled the convention to be held in Belagavi on January 21 (Tuesday) as a gathering of ‘fake Gandhis’. He accused Congress leaders of not following Gandhi’s principles and called their actions a ‘drama company,’ merely donning Gandhi caps and shouting slogans for show.

Yatnal further argued that the Congress had insulted Dr B R Ambedkar and declared the party unfit to say ‘Jai Bhim.’

Discontent and leading a BJP faction

Continuing his criticism of State BJP president B Y Vijayendra, Bijapur City MLA Yatnal, who leads a group of disgruntled BJP leaders in the state, announced that their faction would field a candidate for the election to the BJP state unit president’s post. “We have our own core committee, and the decision will be made there. We are prepared, and let the high command act as the mediator in the elections,” he stated.

Responding to Vijayendra’s confidence in retaining his position, Yatnal accused him of harbouring a desire to “loot whatever remains in the state” and to “purchase the entire state by forging duplicate signatures.”