Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa born 27 February 1943 is popularly referred to by his initials BSY. He is currently serving as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary board committee since 17 August 2022, termed as the highest office of authority in the party. He served as the 13th Chief Minister of Karnataka, and he was former Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly between 1983 - 2022 in different timelines.
BS Yediyurappa has been a very powerful BJP leader from Karnataka. The first non-Congress Govt was formed in Karnataka under his leadership. From corruption scandal leading to his resignation to him being denied a ticket to the latest in which the 81 year old leader being booked under POCSO after a complaint filed by mother of a 17-year old girl of sexual assault, BSY been drawn into controversies throughout his political life.
Here's a trail of controversies that Yediyurappa has been surrounded with
1) Operation Lotus
Yeddyurappa was the mastermind of operation Lotus - an operation that was all about BJP’s ambitious drive during B. S. Yeddyurappa’s previous tenure as the Chief Minister of Karnataka to make MLAs of other parties resign and contest the 2018 Legislative Assembly Elections and win again as the candidate of the saffron party (BJP). During the 2009 elections, BJP executed Operation Lotus as a strategy to basically make thousands of members of other parties to resign and join BJP by extending attractive offers.
2) Illegal de-notification of land
In five cases issued in 2011, Yediyurappa faced allegations of being responsible for illegal de-notification of land. He was jailed during this term and was convicted of corruption.
3) Resignation from CM post
His alleged involvement in illegal mining between 2008 and 2010 was a rough patch for him in politics that compelled him to relinquish the post of Karnataka chief minister in the past on charges of corruption and fight a legal battle that went right up to the Supreme Court.
4) Formation of KJP
Being extremely unhappy after having been made to quit, BS Yeddyurappa parted ways with with the saffron party and formed the Karnataka Janata Paksha. However he couldn't manage to build same magic in his solo performance. Finally in 2014, he merged his KJP with the BJP.
5) Controversial Tapes
BSY was allegedly caught on tape trying to buys a JDS MLA and also, reports have earlier said that a CD involving him was used to blackmail for a ministerial position.
6) Booked under POCSO
BS Yediyurappa faces an FIR under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The FIR has been filed against the former CM for allegedly assaulting a minor girl.
As per the FIR, the alleged offence took place on February 2 in Bengaluru and the FIR was filed by a police station in the city. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, has denied any political link to the incident and has refused to say much before the investigation completes.
