Now, Yatnal asks when exactly was Doreswamy part of freedom struggle

Stoking yet another controversy, former Union minister and Bijapur City BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal questioned the credibility of freedom fighter H S Doreswamy.

Speaking to mediapersons on Friday, Yatnal said, "It has been 72 years since the country got freedom. We do not know at what juncture Doreswamy was part of the freedom struggle. Has Doreswamy suffered as many lathi blows as Savarkar?" Yatnal questioned.

The BJP leader had, recently, called Doreswamy a 'fake freedom fighter' and a 'Pakistani agent'. Relentless in his attack, Yatnal said he was not 'scared of anyone'.

The Congress party immediately took to twitter to condemn Yatnal's statement. "BJP legislator Yatnal has lost his mind. He is starved for publicity and hence is making such statements. The Chief Minister has to immediately take action against him," Karnataka Congress tweeted.

However, Yatnal saw support in RDPR Minister K S Eshwarappa, who also questioned Doreswamy's political leanings. Releasing photos before the media, in which the freedom fighter seen in the same frame as Jignesh Mevani, Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Amulya Leona, Eshwarappa said Doreswamy had to explain his actions. "He has to explain why he went to Amulya's house," the minister added.

The BJP leaders' statements come even as Congress leaders have staged a protest and threatened to disrupt the legislature session, beginning next week, if Yatnal failed to apologise to Doreswamy.

A defiant Eshwarappa said, the ruling party would not allow anyone to disrupt the legislature session. "They are free to protest. They cannot threaten to disrupt the session," he told mediapersons.