NEW DELHI: Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said the party has decided to suspend
Prajwal Revanna
, his nephew and Hassan MP who is a Lok Sabha poll candidate in the current elections, over allegations of his sexual abuse of several women.
Speaking to reporters, the JD(S) state chief said, “Some issues have come out, on the basis of that it was decided on Sunday itself to suspend him (Prajwal).
But many were in a hurry.”
“A decision was already made. On Tuesday, it is to be recommended at the core committee meeting in Hubballi. Because he (Prajwal) is a Member of Parliament, it has to be done from Delhi. So I had requested Deve Gowda (JD(S) national president and former PM). Neither he (Gowda) nor I were aware of this issue,” Kumaraswamy said.
Prajwal is the BJP-JD(S) alliance candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Hassan constituency, which went to the polls on April 26.
Will take merciless action: Kumaraswamy
Kumaraswamy added there is no question of defending his nephew Prajwal over sexual abuse allegations against him, and the party will take “merciless action” if the Special Investigation Team probe proves the charges.
“SIT has been formed, if the (crime) is proved in the investigation, whoever is involved has to undergo punishment. Whoever has committed the wrong has to bow down as per the law of the land … We will take merciless action from the party too, there is no question of defending him,” said the former CM, who is also the state JD(S) chief.
Not scared: HD Revanna
Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Sharana Gowda Kandakur has written to party president HD Deve Gowda demanding the expulsion of Prajwal Revanna from the party over the alleged obscene video case.
With the
Karnataka police
probing the ‘obscene videos’ case against Prajwal Revanna, his father HD Revanna on Monday said he will not get scared and that the party’s central leadership will take a decision on demand for expulsion of Prajwal, who has been booked in the case.
Several media reports said the party will hold a core committee meeting on Tuesday to decide on course of action.
“I know what kind of conspiracy is going on. I am not someone who will get scared and run away. They have released something that is 4-5 years old. Expelling him (Prajwal Revanna) from the party is left to the party high command,” he told reporters.
He said the Siddaramaiah government in the state was conducting a probe and they have faced several investigations under the Congress government in the past.
HD Revanna, who is the son of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, said he had not spoken to his father on the issue. “It is their state government. Let them investigate. Prajwal was anyway going abroad. He didn’t know an FIR was going to be filed against him. For the last 40 years under Congress we have faced several investigations. Be it CoD or SIT. I haven’t spoken to Deve Gowda on this. Action will be taken according to law,” he said.
Prajwal Revanna was booked in a sexual harassment case on Sunday following complaints by his former house help. FIR has been filed against Prajwal and HD Revanna in connection with the case.
Prajwal is already in the middle of a controversy after some objectionable videos went viral on social media allegedly involving him. Prajwal Revanna is seeking a fresh term in the Lower House from Hassan as a candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and is pitted against Congress’ Shreyas Patel.
(With inputs from agencies)
