Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana on Wednesday questioned the motive behind the protests staged by the JD S) against the ongoing probe into the sexual harassment charges against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Addressing a press conference in Mysuru, Mr. Lakshman, Congress candidate for the Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency for which polling was held on April 26, alleged that the protest by the JD(S) in various district headquarters of the State as well as the statements by BJP leaders against the SIT probe amounted to “misleading” the public over ongoing investigations.
Questioning the JD(S) leaders whether they were trying to defend Prajwal Revanna, Mr. Lakshmana asked former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy if he had started “batting” for his nephew after initially stating that he should be punished if he had committed a crime.
Citing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the guilty in the sexual harassment case should be severely punished and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok’s allegation that former Minister H.D. Revanna’s arrest was part of a “political conspiracy”, Mr. Lakshman said the BJP was adopting “double standards”.
He said the BJP and its alliance partner JD(S) should be “ashamed” for misleading the public on the probe by the SIT.
Rejecting the allegations of the JD(S) leader that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was behind the distribution of the explicit videos, Mr. Lakshman referred to the admission made by BJP leader from Holenarsipura in Hassan Devaraje Gowda’s claims that he had written to the BJP leaders about Prajwal’s alleged sexual harassment of women and the videos in December 2023.
Mr. Lakshman said he will shortly write to the government to subject Devaraje Gowda for narco analysis to extract the truth relating to the distribution of the explicit videos. “The truth will come out,” he said.
