Facing backlash from Opposition, HDK says will suspend Prajwal Revanna
Aksheev Thakur
New Delhi, April 29
Facing backlash from the Opposition over the alleged explicit obscene videos involving the grandson of former PM HD Deve Gowda and sitting Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, the JD(S) on Monday announced that he would be suspended.
Let the truth come out in probe
Prajwal will be suspended following the party’s core committee meeting on Tuesday. If someone has committed a mistake, let them be punished. We are not shielding anyone and an SIT has been formed to probe the matter. Let the truth come out. — HD Kumaraswamy, JD(s) State President
JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy said Prajwal would be suspended following the party’s core committee meeting on Tuesday (April 30). “If someone has committed a mistake, let them be punished. We are not shielding anyone and an SIT has been formed to probe the matter. Let the truth come out,” he said.
While it is said that Prajwal has fled to Germany, his father and JD(S) MLA HD Revanna insisted he had not fled the country and was ready to face the law.
Meanwhile, G Devaraje Gowda, BJP leader who contested from Holenarasipura in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly poll and lost to Revanna, said he wrote a letter to BJP state unit president BY Vijayendra stating there was a pen drive showing that Prajwal had blackmailed and sexually exploited many women.
“It has come to my notice that the BJP and JD(S) are forming an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is one of the world’s largest parties under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, with the culture of respecting truth, culture and women. There is a pen drive showing that Prajwal has blackmailed and sexually exploited many women. It contains 2,976 obscene videos involving Prajwal. It has already reached the Congress leaders and if a JD(S) candidate is allowed to contest from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency after the alliance, the party will have to face the embarrassment of joining hands with such a family. This will also bring the BJP in bad light and affect its prospects. If the national leaders are willing to go through the videos and documents, I am ready to show it to them,” said the letter dated December 8, 2023.
The clips surfaced on social media three days before Hassan voted on April 26. More than 2,000 pen drives were circulated across the Hassan constituency.
HD Revanna said he would not get scared. “They have released something that was around 5 years old. Expelling him from the party is left to the party high command,” he said.
On April 28, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the role of Prajwal. However, hours later, a woman, in her complaint to the Holenarasipura police, also named HD Revanna, Holenarasipura MLA and son of Deve Gowda, as an accused.
Meanwhile, BJP in the state has distanced itself from the issue. Party spokesperson S Prakash told reporters, “The BJP has nothing to do with this, the government has formed an SIT, let there be a probe. This does not affect our alliance. The government should come out with a report as soon as possible. It is for the JDS to handle this, not the BJP.”
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said women targeted by Prajwal “are domestic workers, party workers, and women MPs”.
