Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday questioned veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa's "moral right" to demand his resignation in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam', saying that he should retire from public life after being charged in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case at the age of 81 years.
Yediyurappa recently demanded that Siddaramaiah must resign before the BJP-JD(S) protest march from Bengaluru against the MUDA site allotment 'scam' reaches Mysuru. The week-long Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatre (foot march) has sought to highlight the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by MUDA, including to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi.
'Because of court's mercy he is outside'
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah said, “Yediyurappa has 15 to 20 cases which I will explain in the convention to be held in Mysuru city on Friday. Yediyurappa has been charged in a POCSO case and it is due to the mercy of the court that he has not been sent to jail as bail cannot be given in these cases. What morality does Yediyurappa have, if he is caught in a POCSO case at this age? The media won’t show much of it.”
"What moral right does Yediyurappa have? At this age, he is caught in a POCSO case...He should retire from public life. At 81 years of age he is accused of sexually assaulting a girl and is caught in a POCSO case... First, let him retire from public life. There should be truth (in allegations against me) to seek my resignation."
POCSO case against Yediyurappa
The case was registered on March 14 this year following a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl, who alleged that Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2 at his residence in Dollars Colony, Bengaluru. The Criminal Investigation Department, which is investigating the case, filed a charge sheet against him at the Fast Track Court on June 27.
The 81-year-old Yediyurappa has been charged under Section 8 (punishment for sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 204 (destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evidence) and 214 (offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The other three co-accused -- Arun Y M, Rudresh M and G Mariswamy who are aides of Yediyurappa -- are charged under IPC Sections 204 and 214, in the chargesheet filed at the Fast Track Court 1 for POCSO Act cases here on Thursday.
(With agencies input)
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