A chance to get elected to represent Hassan in Parliament at a young age with little hard work on the ground and the consequent unlimited access to power led Prajwal Revanna to commit crimes he is now accused of, according to many people in the district, whom The Hindu spoke to.
Prajwal Revanna, 34, has been accused of sexually abusing many women over several years. The allegations are being probed by a Special Investigation Team set up by the government of Karnataka.
Activists, party workers, writers and ordinary citizens, who have seen the political graph of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s family members over the decades, are of the opinion that the young parliamentarian hardly did the work expected from an elected representative of the people. He never showed interest in on-going infrastructure projects or development work in the constituency, they say.
Writers and activists staged a protest demanding arrest of Prajwal Revanna, MP, in Hassan on May 18, 2024. Activists, party workers, writers and ordinary citizens claim that the MP never showed interest in on-going infrastructure projects or development work in the constituency. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“The people of Hassan have stood by Deve Gowda. All of a sudden, Deve Gowda nominated his grandson, 28-year-old Prajwal Revanna, for the Lok Sabha election in 2019. What was his contribution to the constituency? Had he spent time with people? He won because of the name that his grandfather had earned over the years,” said T.R. Vijay Kumar, Hassan district president of Madiga Dandora Horata Samiti, and a native of Holenarasipur.
Prajwal Revanna grew up in an environment where his parents had unquestionable influence. “The family enjoyed the support of people, advantage of caste, and possessed political power. The combination of popular support and political power was his undoing. He did not understand the value of the position he had been elected to. Otherwise, he would not have committed what he has been accused of,” said R.P. Venkateshamurthy, a social activist and senior journalist in Hassan.
H.D. Deve Gowda faced ups and downs in his political career. He struggled hard to get elected. “However, his grandson did not make any such effort. He was nominated when the ground was well-prepared for someone like him. As soon as he was elected, he got access to unquestionable power. It seems he felt he could get away with anything,” he added.
Many families in Holenarasipur and parts of Hassan taluk ensure that the names of H.D. Deve Gowda and his family members are mentioned in wedding invitations.
A file photo of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda with wife Chennamma, grandson Prajwal Revanna, daughter-in-law Bhavani Revanna and son H.D. Revanna, after casting his vote in Holenarasipur. | Photo Credit: Prakash Hassan
“You will find the names of all six members — H.D. Deve Gowda, (wife) Chennamma, (son) Revanna, (daughter-in-law) Bhavani, (grandson) Prajwal and (grandson) Suraj — in almost all wedding invitations in the taluk. Some people put their names out of fear. They are afraid that they might be targeted if they skip the names in the invitations,” said Raju S., a resident of Holenarasipur town, talking of the power the family wields in the region.
Well before getting elected to Parliament, Prajwal Revanna was known for misusing the position and power of his father H.D. Revanna, who had a stint as PWD Minister in Karnataka. After getting elected as MP, he chose to stay put in the official quarters allotted to his grandfather in Hassan. “He had multiple houses to spend time in. And, there was no shortage of money to spend. It seems nobody in the family reminded him of his responsibilities as an MP,” said Mr. Venkateshamurthy.
According to a JD(S) supporter, who did not want to be named, the conduct of his parents also influenced him. “His parents — H.D. Revanna and Bhavani Revanna — have been known for their arrogant behaviour whenever they face opposition. Bhavani Revanna was rude to a two-wheeler rider following a minor accident in K.R. Nagar taluk earlier this year. She was more concerned about the car than the injuries to the rider. Similarly, H.D. Revanna has been openly rude to many senior officers during meetings. Their attitude and conduct in public places surely influenced the son, and that could make him believe that he was unquestionable,” he said.
Multiple other JD(S) workers, who spoke to The Hindu on the allegations against the Hassan MP, shared similar sentiments, but did not wish their names to be mentioned in this report.
Mr. Venkateshamurthy has urged the former Prime Minister to understand the gravity of the crime of his grandson. “Deve Gowda should write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the accused back to India, cancelling his diplomatic passport,” he said.
