Bangalore:
Senior JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were on Tuesday engaged in a war of words over the alleged sex scandal involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.
Mr Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) second-in-command, accused DK Shivakumar of hatching a conspiracy to circulate the videos in public and then setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
“Bringing out the truth about the main suspect is only part of it. How the pen drive was distributed, and the 'great leader' (Shivakumar) who distributed it, for what reason it was distributed, for how many months the 'great leader' 'was aware of it. These are the questions,” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Hubballi.
He attended the core committee meeting of the JD(S) in Hubballi where the suspension of Prajwal Revanna from the party was recommended.
Noting that his nephew will face consequences if he has committed any mistake, the former chief minister said it was necessary to discuss the 'great leader' (Shivakumar) who initiated the anti-JD(S) protest in Hubballi today organized.
Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and nephew of HD Kumaraswamy.
The Karnataka government has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of IPS officers led by Additional Director General of Police BK Singh to investigate the alleged sexual harassment of many women by Prajwal Revanna, who is said to be currently in Germany , to investigate.
Two days ago, an FIR was registered at Holenarasipura police station in Hassan district against Prajwal and his father Revanna for sexually harassing their former cook.
Reacting to Mr. Kumaraswamy's claim, Mr. Shivakumar said that JD(S)'s first family has been remembering him for years, without which they cannot sleep well.
Kumaraswamy had said in the television interview that the BJP high command had warned him that he (Prajwal) is not good and thinks before giving him a ticket. He also said that giving a ticket to Prajwal will make the decision of his father Deve Gowda,” claimed DK Shivakumar. .
The deputy chief minister termed the charges against Prajwal Revanna 'serious' and said this is about the modesty of women.
“The information I got is that almost 200 to 300 families, their honours, their relatives, their wives and daughters, JD(S) party workers and those to whom they gave jobs, contractors…. I have not seen all of them (videos) but people are saying this,” Mr Shivakumar said.
The Deputy Chief Minister has also criticized the BJP leaders for not talking about the Prajwal Revanna case.
“This morning, Union Home Minister Amit Shah issued a statement asking people what the DCM is doing. He said there is no justice for women in Karnataka. You (Centre) sent a team from the National Commission for Women to Udupi when someone took pictures. (in a girls' hostel), but why are the BJP leaders not talking about it (Prajwal Revanna's case)?” he asked.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)