In a recent turn of events, BS Yediyurappa, a prominent leader of the BJP and the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, has been implicated in a serious legal matter. The Karnataka police registered a complaint against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), prompted by allegations of sexual assault on a minor.
A complaint lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl accuses Yediyurappa of misconduct during a meeting in the previous month. G Parameshwara, the Karnataka Home Minister, confirmed the filing of the complaint but refrained from offering additional information pending the result of the inquiry. According to reports, the alleged incident occurred on February 2 when the teenager and her mother visited Yediyurappa to seek guidance on a cheating case, which then led to the alleged assault.
Responding to the charges, Yediyurappa expressed his surprise and disappointment, as he believed his intent to help the accusers financially in their time of difficulty had been misconstrued. He asserted that the complaint seemed to lack any political motive and affirmed that all necessary legal actions would be taken to address the accusation. Holding an influential political standing as a four-time Chief Minister of Karnataka and thrice as the Leader of the Opposition, Yediyurappa questioned the timing of the filing, which coincided with the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Yediyurappa’s office strongly repudiated the allegations, labeling them as unfounded, and pointed to numerous previous complaints filed by the mother-daughter duo as a pattern of behavior.
As the investigation proceeds, the case remains highly sensitive, given Yediyurappa’s stature and the severe nature of the allegations involved. The former Chief Minister’s contributions to Karnataka’s political landscape, with service terms spanning from 2007 to 2021, are shadowed by this controversy, awaiting the outcome of the legal process.