Amid growing pressure on the Janata Dal (Secular) to take action against the alleged sexual harassment by Prajwal Revanna, the incumbent MP from Hassan and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, the regional party that is in an electoral alliance with the BJP, is set to suspend him from the party on April 30.
On Monday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the sex scandal commenced its work while the MP is believed to have left for Europe early on Saturday morning
Also read | Revanna, Prajwal booked for sexual harassment; case transferred to SIT
Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, distancing himself and Mr. Gowda from the scandal that has rocked Karnataka, told presspersons at Shivamogga that Mr. Prajwal would be suspended. “I had appealed to the former Prime Minister seeking action. It was decided yesterday itself that we would suspend him.” He, however, did not clarify whether only Mr. Prajwal will be suspended or action would be taken against his father H.D. Revanna, a former Minister and sitting MLA from Holenarasipura in Hassan, who is also named in a complaint to the State Women Commission. Home Minister G. Parameshwara has already announced that all facets of the complaint will be probed into.
Congress ups the ante
After several pen drives containing sex videos allegedly involving Mr. Prajwal came out in public days ahead of election early last week, the Karnataka government on Sunday constituted the SIT to probe the scandal that is believed to involve several women in about 3,000 files. The Congress has upped the ante seeking answers from the JD(S) as well as the saffron party on the scandal. Mr. Prajwal, the JD (S) candidate, is pitted against the Congress nominee Shreyas Patel in Hassan where election has been completed in the second phase. A formal announcement on suspension is expected after discussion at the core committee meeting that has been convened in Hubballi.
“We are demanding a comprehensive inquiry. I want to clarify to mothers and sisters in the State not to suspect me or my father. If found guilty, we will raise our voice on behalf of women seeking punishment to the accused. Our stand is that if found guilty, he has to be punished,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said, while maintaining that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor the BJP had anything to do with the scandal. BJP leaders, including State unit president B.Y. Vijayendra and former BJP general secretary C.T. Ravi, also distanced themselves from the scandal involving the candidate of its alliance partner. Mr. Kumaraswamy has also sought the SIT investigation to include the actions of those who distributed pen drives in Hassan that has exposed the identity of the victims.
Meanwhile, JD (S) legislator from Gurmitkal Sharanagouda Kandakur is learnt to have written to the party leaders, including Mr. Gowda, seeking action against the MP and highlighted the embarrassment faced by the party workers during the election campaign that is underway for the third phase of polling in 14 constituencies in north Karnataka.
Multiple teams
Meanwhile, the SIT began its probe by questioning one of the suspected victims in the case on Monday, sources said, adding that multiple teams have been assigned with specific tasks. Sources in the SIT said the big task before them was to identify the victims in the videos now being circulated.
“The pen drives doing the rounds have nearly 3,000 files, which include videos, photographs and screenshots of chats with multiple women,” a senior official said. A team is working on identifying these women, following which they will be approached by the SIT to record their statements.
