In a stern warning to his grandson, Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday asked Prajwal Revanna to "return immediately" to the country and face the legal consequences of the sexual harassment accusations against him. Deve Gowda said that if the allegations against Prajwal are proven true, he should face the harshest punishment.
In a two-page open letter titled "My Warning To Prajwal Revanna," the 91-year-old politician expressed his lack of awareness regarding his grandson's alleged actions, stating, "People have used the harshest words against me and my family in the last few weeks. I am aware of it. I do not wish to stop them. I do not wish to criticise them. I will not try and argue with them that they should have waited until all the facts were found out."
"I also cannot convince people that I was unaware of Prajwal's activities. I cannot convince them that I have no desire to shield him. I cannot convince them that I am not aware of his movements and that I was not aware of his foreign trip. I believe in answering my conscience. I believe in God, and I know the almighty knows the truth," he added.
Deve Gowda sternly warned Prajwal, who has been evading authorities for almost a month, to "return immediately" if he respects his grandfather. He stated, "I can do only one thing. I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process. This is not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing."
The former Prime Minister also cautioned Prajwal about the consequences of disregarding his family's advice, stating, "If he does not heed to this warning, he will have to face my anger and the anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately".