'It will be good if Yediyurappa ... ': Karnataka home minister's advice to former chief minister who faces allegations of sexual assault

NEW DELHI: Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara has a word of advice for state's former chief minister and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, who faces allegation of sexual assault on a minor girl. Yediyurappa, who is believed to be in the national capital, on Friday got temporary relief from Karnataka high court which put a hold on his arrest by Karnataka CID till June 17, the date of next hearing.The court also ordered the former chief minister to appear before CID for questioning.
A Bengaluru court had on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Yediyurappa after the senior BJP leader failed to appear for questioning in the case, which was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Posco) Act on March 14 this year.
"A warrant has been issued for Yediyurappa. Police will bring him along with them and get all the information related to the case. Then legal action will be taken. There is information that he is in Delhi. He said he would come on Monday, 16th June," Parameshwara told reporters on Friday. "It is good if he comes back soon," the Karnataka home minister added.
BJP, Congress in war of words
The case has triggered a war of words between the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has claimed political vendetta and has accused the Karnataka government of hatching conspiracy against the saffron party after the Congress's dismal show in Lok Sabha elections.
"Shocked by the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leaders are engrossed in hatching one conspiracy after another against the BJP," the BJP said.
"Previously, the home minister Parameshwara himself had stated that the complaint from the mentally unstable woman was malicious and without merit. It is absurd that the case is being revived after three months," the BJP claimed.
The Congress, which had sweeped the assembly elections in the state, won 9 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state while the BJP got 17.
The BJP has also claimed that Karnataka government was maligning Yediyurappa to divert attention from corruption charges involving former minister B Nagendra in the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation. Nagendra had resigned subsequently.
"Why is the government focusing on Yediyurappa ji's only, among 53 complaints filed by the woman, including against her own children and husband? Why plot a sudden arrest three months after the complaint was filed? If Congress leaders in Delhi succumb to such vile, vindictive politics and target Shri Yediyurappa ji, there is no doubt that Congress will be thrown out of Karnataka," it added.
The Congress has rejected all these allegations.
"BJP says so. They had sent the video to FSL, the report should come, right? All checks should be done as per the procedure. Yediyurappa is a senior person and one of the VIPs, so everything should be checked," home minister Parameshwara said.
BJP drags Rahul Gandhi into controversy
The BJP has also alleged that Rahul Gandhi was behind the state government's decision to implicate Yediyurappa.
"Congress, resentful towards the BJP, is now attempting to arrest our respected leader BS Yediyurappa, based on a complaint from a mentally unstable woman. This comes after Rahul Gandhi faced court proceedings for spreading misinformation against BJP in Karnataka," the BJP Karnataka said on Thursday in a post on X.
However, Parameshwara rejected reports of Rahul's involvement and said, "No, why will he (Rahul) involve himself in this? There is no use in simply cooking up a story. It is a local issue ... there is no pressure from anyone."
What is the case about?
According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the Posco Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February 2 this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony. The victim's brother had filed a petition in the court earlier this week alleging that though the case was registered on March 14, no progress has been made in the investigation. The petitioner prayed that Yediyurappa should be arrested and interrogated.
(With inputs from agencies)