JDS on Tuesday suspended its Hassan MP and NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna from the party over his alleged involvement in obscene videos. The party held a core committee meeting in Hubballi to finalise the suspension and released a statement saying the allegations against Revanna – JDS chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda‘s grandson – have “threatened the dignity and honour of the party and its leadership”.
Revanna’s uncle HD Kumaraswamy said the duration of the suspension was until the completion of the special investigation team‘s probe against him. “If the allegations are found to be true, he will be removed from the party permanently,” he said.
The scandal broke out last week when thousands of pen drives containing obscene videos allegedly involving Revanna were distributed in Hassan, days before the Lok Sabha election in the constituency. A woman later lodged a complaint against him, saying he had sexually abused her multiple times between 2019 and 2022. The MP’s father, HD Revanna, has also been named as an accused in the case, but no action has been taken against him so far.
Speculation is rife that Prajwal Revanna has fled the country since the accusation. Congress has been pushing JDS and its ally BJP to a corner over the issue, demanding to know why the MP was given a ticket. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi could snoop on the Opposition but not prevent an accused in a sexual assault case from fleeing the country.
Kumaraswamy distanced himself and his father from the issue, declaring they had no idea and would not be defending Revanna at all. The suspension, he said, was necessary to send across a message that JDS would not allow any woman or family to be meted injustice in such an issue. “There is a conspiracy to spoil our family’s name using the issue. Their (Congress’) objective is not to protect women,” he said.
He also tried to defend the party’s ally BJP. “On social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being tagged. What is the connection between the PM and this case? He has no role in this,” he said.
Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar asked why Congress government in Karnataka did not take action against Revanna before.
