It will be ʼgoodʼ if Yediyurappa appears before CID in POCSO case soon: Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said that with a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in a POCSO case, it will be "good" if former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa comes back to Bengaluru soon and appears before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing it. According to reports, the veteran BJP leader has gone to an “undisclosed” location in New Delhi.
"Warrant has been issued, he will be brought and information will be gathered from him, and further action will be taken in accordance with law," Parameshwara told reporters.
On Yediyurappa's whereabouts, Parameshwara said he is said to have gone to Delhi and has informed that he will be back on June 17.
"Now that a warrant has been issued, it is good if he comes back soon," he said.
A Bengaluru court on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Yediyurappa in the case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on March 14 this year.
The Special Investigation Team of the CID had moved the First Fast Track Court seeking an arrest warrant against him since he failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday.
Yediyurappa had sought time to join the probe.
When asked about BJP alleging "vendetta politics" on the part of the ruling Congress, Parameshwara said: "They have to say such things, what else can they say?"
Answering a question as to why the police was "silent" for three months and all of a sudden is now acting on the case after the Lok Sabha election polls are over, the Minister said: "investigation was on, FSL reports had to come. Procedurally what has to be done is being done, because he (Yediyurappa) is a senior leader, a VIP. So after proper verification they (police) are going ahead because if anything is wrong it will come on them."
Asked about "reports" that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had allegedly instructed for Yediyurappa's arrest, during his recent visit to Bengaluru, Parameshwara outrightly rejected them 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."
Meanwhile, hitting out at the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, the Karnataka BJP said following the "humiliating defeat" in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leaders have become busy plotting various conspiracies against the BJP.
"Congress, resentful towards the BJP, is now attempting to arrest our respected leader, Yediyurappa ji, based on a complaint from a mentally unstable woman. This comes after Rahul Gandhi faced court proceedings for spreading misinformation against Karnataka BJP," it said in a post on 'X'.
BJP alleged that In light of the corruption charges involving Minister B Nagendra (who subsequently resigned) in the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation and the subsequent allegations against the government itself, the Congress has devised a conspiracy to divert attention by maligning Yediyurappa.
"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," it said.
"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," BJP added.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi too, hitting out at the state government, said the Congress, unable to "digest" its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, is showing its "political hate" against Yediyurappa.
He accused the Congress government of running a conspiracy by filing a false case against the 81-year-old Yeddyurappa to hide its mismanagement.
According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO 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 two this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony here.
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.
After the Sadashivanagar police registered the case in March, the Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.
The 54-year-old woman, who had leveled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital here last month, due to lung cancer.
Yediyurappa has denied the charge and said he would fight the case legally.
In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office. The government, meanwhile, has appointed Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ashok H Nayak to represent the CID in the case.
Yediyurappa has filed two separate petitions in the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the FIR.
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Karnataka power tussle: BJP leader calls Siddaramaiah 'Sultan for 15 days'
Bengaluru/Bagalkot (PTI): In the midst of the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader and MP Govind Karjol called CM Siddaramaiah "Pandrah din-ka-Sultan" (Sultan for 15 days), and said after that, he will not be the chief minister of the state.
Speculation has once again surfaced within the Congress party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for Assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, are announced.
"With the fight for the CM chair in the Congress, there seems to be no administration at Vidhana Soudha. The result for Siddaramaiah's CM chair fight will also be declared, along with election results for five states (four states and one union territory) and bypoll results for Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly seats in Karnataka," Karjol, a former Deputy CM, said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "As per today's information, Siddaramaiah is a Sardar for fifteen days, he is Pandrah din-ka-Sultan, after that Siddaramaiah will not be the chief minister of the state."
Stating that Shivakumar is ready to take up the top job, the MP said that this is the reason Siddaramaiah's supporters have gone to New Delhi to meet the Congress President.
"Already 40-odd legislators have lobbied in support of Siddaramaiah; about 50 are lobbying in support of Shivakumar. Amid this fight for the CM chair, the administration has completely collapsed," he said, urging the government to focus on addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer by releasing at least Rs 50 crore per district.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Monday met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and requested them to address the speculation regarding the change of leadership in Karnataka.
Subsequently, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa too met the party leadership in Delhi.
Both Jarkiholi and Mahadevappa are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
While MLAs and leaders who want Shivakumar to be elevated as CM have recently claimed they expect some "sweet news" by May 15, which is their leader's birthday.
Meanwhile, a team of 40 MLAs is preparing to visit New Delhi to press the Congress high command for a Cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka hit out at the Congress leadership for indulging in "power tussle" instead of addressing the people's concerns. He called the government "anti-people" and "dead" to the people of the state.
With the fight for the CM chair, the ruling Congress in Karnataka seems to be shifting to Delhi. Congress MLAs are repeatedly touring Delhi, upset over the state leadership amid a power struggle between the CM and Deputy CM. This proves that there is no value for the state leadership," he said.
Pointing out that the Deputy CM Shivakumar was not present at the recent special cabinet meeting, which decided on internal reservation among SCs, the opposition leader said, "If the cabinet meeting was held purposely, despite knowing that Shivakumar was in Delhi, it proves that there are factions within the party"
"This government is dead in a way," he said, as he hit out at the Congress MLAs and Ministers, including Shivakumar, for doing "Delhi Yatras" instead of addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer, picking up in the state.
