The Congress workers staged a protest in front of Denissons Hotel, where the JD(S) core-committee meeting was being held.
Congress-JD(S) scuffle, Mahila Congress protest in Hubballi against Prajwal Revanna on Tuesday (X)
Eleven Congress workers were taken into preventive custody on Tuesday, 30 April, following an altercation between them and JD(S) cadres in Hubballi, Karnataka, in connection with the alleged sexual abuse involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, police said.
The Congress workers staged a protest in front of Denissons Hotel, where the JD(S) core-committee meeting was being held to recommend the suspension of Prajwal Revanna from the party.
The JD(S) cadres present there raised slogans against the Congress government in the state for allegedly leaking the videos and degrading the dignity of women, police said.
Tense moments prevailed outside the hotel and police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
“Immediately, we made the preventive arrest of the protesters and cleared them from the scene. Around 11 Congress workers were taken into preventive custody and the situation was brought under control,” a senior police officer said.
#Hubballi: A scuffle broke out between @INCKarnataka and @JanataDal_S workers outside the hotel where the JD(S) Core Committee meeting was underway. #Congress workers were protesting against JD(S) leader #PrajwalRevanna regarding his sexual abuse case. pic.twitter.com/4rxGFmTVye
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) April 30, 2024
The JD(S) today, suspended Prajwal Revanna from the party with immediate effect over his alleged involvement in sexually assaulting hundreds of women, including government officials and party workers.
The suspension came minutes after the party core committee recommended his suspension to its national president and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who is also Prajwal’s grandfather.
The 33-year-old is the son of Deve Gowda’s elder son HD Revanna, who is the Holenarasipura MLA and a former minister. Prajwal was also the NDA candidate in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, which went to polls on 26 April.
“Videos of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna allegedly harassing women are widely in circulation on social media and media and this has caused huge embarrassment to the party and its leadership,” the suspension order said.
Stating that the Congress government in Karnataka has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate this, it said, “In this backdrop, as per JD(S)’ party constitution and rules regarding breach of discipline and punishment, Prajwal Revanna has been suspended with immediate effect.”
The suspension order, signed by party general secretary KR Shivakumar, was released to the media following approval from the JD(S) national president.
The core committee meeting was attended by state JD(S) president HD Kumaraswamy and other members. Kumaraswamy said the decision was to suspend Prajwal, and that the tenure of the suspension would be subject to the SIT probe report and government action on it.
“We welcome the SIT probe. The suspension is until the SIT report on Prajwal’s role comes out. If it comes in the report that he is guilty, he will be permanently suspended,” he added.
Many sleezy videos allegedly featuring him with multiple women have been doing the rounds in recent days. On 28 April, a survivor in the case stepped forward and filed a complaint against Prajwal and his father Revanna alleging sexual abuse.
The complaint was filed by a 47-year-old woman who worked at the residence of Revanna. An FIR has been filed against the father-son duo.
In her complaint, registered at the Holenarasipura Police Station, the survivor named both father and son, alleging sexual harassment and abuse by them.
Police have registered a case under Sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC based on the complaint.
Earlier, Devaraje Gowda, the BJP’s candidate from the Holenarsipura in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, said he had informed the party about Prajwal but no state leader paid heed to it.
He had written that he had received a pen drive with some 3,000 odd videos of women, including government officials, performing sexual acts with Prajwal.
He also alleged that Prajwal was using the footage to blackmail the women to continue engaging in such activities.
Meanwhile, Prajwal Revanna’s former driver confessed that he handed it over to a BJP leader in Hassan. The former driver, Karthik, on Tuesday alleged that he had left the job almost a year ago following the physical and mental assault he and his wife had to face from the legislator’s family.
In a recorded video message sent to media houses before he deposed in front of an SIT formed to probe the matter, the driver said he handed over the videos to BJP leader from Hassan Devaraje Gowda, to get justice for him and others who were part of it.
Karthik also said that he had not given copies of the videos to anyone except Gowda.
He said that he approached Gowda and gave him the evidence seeking justice for him and his family but was betrayed by the BJP leader “who used the videos after he had “some fight between Revanna’s family”.
“I don’t know who shared the pen drive. To save himself, fake allegations are being made against me,” he added.
However, Gowda has been claiming that Karthik had given the videos to some Congress leaders.
Alleging that Karthik shared the videos with Congress, Gowda claimed that he wrote to the BJP high command to save the women’s lives as the Congress could release it during elections.
“I felt the Congress has this with them and can release it during elections. If this comes out, many women’s lives will be destroyed. So, when I went to Delhi, I tried to mention to the PM’s team that there was some problem and requested a meeting with the PM,” he said.
“The alliance came in to keep Prajwal from going to jail. I got a message from the PM’s secretary that the (Deve) Gowda family has spoken ill about me and hence the PM will not listen to me now. In December, I wrote a letter to the state BJP chief and also met him. There was a communication gap and he (Prajwal) got the ticket,” Gowda said.
“Also, it was not the mistake of the BJP as JD(S), despite having the intelligence report, gave him the ticket,” he further said.
However, Karthik reiterated that he did not share the videos with anyone except Gowda.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday, 29 April, alleged that the BJP was responsible for the “escape” of the JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.
Senior Congress leader Ajoy Kumar claimed, “Revanna left India shortly after several sex scandal videos recorded by him surfaced”.
“He has recorded obscene videos. Such an accused has been allowed to leave the country freely. The BJP is responsible for it. The prime minister is also responsible for the escape of Revanna,” the Congress leader in charge of Odisha alleged.
He mocked the BJP, stating that “it should be called ‘Balatkari Janata Party’ as the saffron camp was supporting a rapist”.
The Congress’ women’s wing on Tuesday called on the National Commission for Women (NCW) to conduct a thorough probe into the allegations of sexual misconduct against Prajwal and ensure that all those involved are held accountable.
In a letter to NCW chief Rekha Sharma, All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba expressed “deep concern” and sought immediate intervention from the panel on the serious allegations of sexual misconduct involving Revanna.
“It has been brought to our attention that a pen drive, allegedly released in Hassan, contains videos that implicate the sexual exploitation of more than 500 women of all ages and seeking mental pleasure by harassing them. This act not only violates the privacy and dignity of the women involved but also poses a significant threat to their safety and well-being,” she said.
Lamba said that a complaint has been filed against Revanna, alleging sexual harassment by his former domestic helper. “The complaint also mentions the involvement of HD Revanna, his father and a prominent leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) in objectionable videos,” she said.
“It has been alleged that political motivations may be influencing the situation as Devaraj Gowda has also mentioned the denial of an MP ticket to a JD(S) candidate. This adds a layer of complexity to the case that requires your esteemed body’s unbiased scrutiny,” Lamba said.
The Congress leader also listed the violations of provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case.
Mahila Congress organised a massive protest in #Hubballi against #PrajwalRevanna
Protest was organised under the Leadership of Mahila Congress District President Smt Deepa Gowri. They demanded justice for the women who suffered.@KarnatakaPMC @INCKarnataka @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/K8iIkWN6df
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) April 30, 2024
Prajwal has reportedly fled the country. The police on Sunday, 28 April, booked Prajwal and his father — JD(S) MLA and former minister HD Revanna — for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman, who worked in their household.
The NCW has sought a report within three days from the Karnataka police over allegations of sexual abuse involving the MP.
Condemning the incident, the NCW emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety and dignity of women and preventing the perpetuation of a culture that fosters disrespect and violence against them.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)
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