Karnataka's Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna found himself embroiled in a controversy after several purpoted videos of him sexually abusing women were circulated in Hassan, leading to two sexual harrasment cases against him. Following this, the Janata Dal (Secular), Bharatiya Janata Party's alliance in the state, has now suspended to suspend him from the party on Tuesday after mounting attacks from opposition and fellow party members demanding action against him.
Former Karantaka CM and JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, who is Prajwal Revanna's uncle, said the party has decided to suspend the Hassan candidate over the sexual abuse allegations. He added that a final decision regarding the matter will be taken after a core committee meeting scheduled to be held on April 30.
Here's what we know so far:
- Follwing the outbreak of a political firestorm that emerged after allegations of sexual harassment against Prajwal Revanna and his father, MLA HD Revanna, JD(S) has set up a core committee meeting for today in Hubbali.
- HD Kumaraswamy on Monday stated that the party has decided to suspend his nephew who is the joint JD (S)-BJP candidate from Karnataka's Hassan seat for the Lok Sabha election 2024, in view of the sexual abuse allegations against him by several women.
- As the matter was unearthed, the Karnataka Police on Sunday booked Prajwal and his father for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, after a woman who worked in their household filed a complaint against them.
- HD Kumaraswamy stated: "So far, there are no direct allegations against Prajwal Revanna. If the charges are true, punishment should happen in accordance with law. There is no compromise. If Prajwal Revanna is wrong, our family is in agreement for action to be taken against him," PTI reported.
- Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged sex scandal involving the Hassan MP.
- Talking about the investigation, Kumaraswamy stated that in his opinion the pen-drives containing the alleged explicit videos should also be probed.
- The 33-year-old Prajwal Revanna, is under fire after several explicit video clips of him allegedly sexually abusing several women started making the rounds in his Hassan constituency recently.
- Amid the allegations of mass abuse, pen drives showing the purported sexual acts by Prajwal Revanna came to the fore.
- As per the Karnataka government officials, a pen drive circulated in Hassan had 2,976 videos. The preliminary probe revealed that most of the video clips were shot from a mobile phone at their residences in Hassan and Bengaluru after 2019.
- The chief minister’s office which announced the SIT probe said in its statement that Prajwal has left the country.
- When asked about his whereabouts, Kumaraswamy said, "What should I say, if you ask me? Will he ask me and go anywhere...They, the government, will take action."
- H D Revanna also commented on the probe against his son, saying that he would not react to “issues” that are “four-five” years old. “Will not run away fearing such issues. Congress is in the government and they can do whatever they want,” he said.
- On his son leaving the country, he said that Prajwal was unaware that an FIR would be filed against him before he went abroad. “When they call him for questioning, he will come,” he said.
- Amidst this, Congress has alleged that the saffron party was responsible for Prajwal Revanna's “escape”. Congress' Ajoy Kumar claimed that the Hassan MP left India “shortly after several sex scandal videos recorded by him surfaced”.
- Training guns at PM Modi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said at a rally that he shouldn't dare talk about the “mangalsutra” of women till Prajwal is brought back to India.
- Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra maintained that the party has nothing to do with the case and added that law will take its own course, and accused the grand old party of playing "dirty politics" by targeting the BJP on the issue.
- Kumaraswamy also reacted to Congress leaders targetting BJP and PM Modi on the issue, saying, "Did PM Modi come for Prajwal Revanna's campaigning? What does PM Modi have to do with this case? What does the BJP have to do with this? Why link this with them? What does Deve Gowda or Kumaraswamy have to do with this?"
- JD(S) MLA from Mulbagal V Manjunath said that these charges have embarrassed the party workers to the extent that they do not wish even to take the name of their party.
ALSO READ| 'Not A Family Issue': HD Kumaraswamy On 'Obscene Videos' Case Involving JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna