NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of deliberately delaying action against suspended JD-S leader
Prajwal Revanna
in the obscene video case until after the voting in Vokkaliga-dominated areas concluded.
“You did not initiate any action till the elections in the Vokkaliga belt were over. You did politics and allowed him (Prajwal Revanna) to escape.
If you have guts tell the truth. Because of you, a heinous criminal fled the country,” Shah said at a public meeting.
“We (BJP) have an alliance with the JD(S). Now (Prajwal) Revanna’s CD has come. They (Congress) thought they can corner the BJP. I am making it clear here BJP cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women,” the home minister said.
Shah said that Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, and home minister G Parameshwara were responsible for Revanna’s escape from the country.
Shah’s comments come in response to criticism from Congress and other opposition parties regarding Revanna’s departure. He alleged that the Congress government waited to take action due to political calculations related to the first phase of voting in the state on April 26.
Prajwal, 33, is the grandson of JD(S) chief and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, and the son of former minister and current MLA H D Revanna, who too has been accused of sexual harassment.
Nearly 3,000 explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal sexually abusing several women had started making the rounds in Hassan in recent days.
‘Truth will prevail’: Prajwal Revanna
In his first reaction after the row erupted, Prajwal said: “As I am not in Bangalore to attend the enquiry, I have communicated to C.I.D Bangalore through my Advocate. Truth will prevail soon.”
Cancel Prajwal’s diplomatic passport: Karnataka CM
Earlier in the day, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah wrote to PM Modi requesting him to direct the ministry of external affairs and ministry of home affairs to cancel the Diplomatic Passport issued to Prajwal and ensure his “return to face the law”.
“Sensing the impending police case and arrest, the accused MP has fled the country and travelled abroad on April 27 itself. It is learnt from the reports that he is travelling abroad on his Diplomatic Passport … The allegations that the MP and NDA candidate for Hassan Lok Sabha Prajwal Revanna is facing are horrific and shameful and these have shaken the conscience of the country … getting him back to the country is of utmost importance so that he faces investigation and trial as per the law of the land,” the CM wrote.
(With inputs from agencies)
