Prajwal Revanna | Photo Credit: file photo
Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Sunday said the State had not received any official response from the Centre on its request seeking cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing multiple allegations of sexual abuse and who fled the country on April 27.
Replying to a reporter’s question on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s remark that the State government’s request to cancel the diplomatic passport of Mr. Prajwal Revanna was received on May 22, Dr. Parameshwara hit out at the Centre, asking what had happened to the letter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1. The Chief Minister wrote a second letter to Mr. Modi on May 22 appealing once again for cancellation of Mr. Prajwal Revanna’s passport, he pointed out.
Speaking to presspersons here, Dr. Parameshwara said: “as far as I know, we have not got any information so far from the Centre. I have seen that the External Affairs Minister has told the media that they are taking action and in a couple of days they will cancel diplomatic passport, but we have not got any written communication”. The government has set up the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the charges against Mr. Prajwal Revanna.
“Where is the response for the Chief Minister’s first letter? When a Chief Minister writes a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, it has to get its due respect. That did not happen. The External Affairs Minister is saying that they got the letter from the State on May 22, so we have to ask where did the first letter go?” the Home Minister said.
‘Remark not right’
Referring to the action proposed by the Centre, Dr. Parameshwara said: “it is good that they are taking action. But Dr. Jaishankar’s remark that we have sent a letter only now and not earlier, is not right”. Mr. Siddarmaiah wrote a second letter on May 22 to the Prime Minister urging him to take “prompt and necessary” action to cancel the diplomatic passport of the Hassan MP.
The Chief Minister said Mr. Prajwal Revanna, JD (S) candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, fled on April 27 to Germany using his diplomatic passport shortly after news of his heinous action emerged and just a few hours before the FIR was filed against him. “He has abused his diplomatic privileges to flee the country and to escape criminal proceedings,” Mr. Siddaramaiah had said in the letter.
On the State government’s commitment to protect the interests of victims of Hassan sexual abuse cases and providing security to them, the Home Minister said the Superintendent of Police there and range Inspector-General of Police have been instructed to ensure that victims did not face any problems.
‘Hassan chalo’
To a question on some organisations and activists organising ‘Hassan chalo’ on May 30, demanding arrest of Mr. Prajwal Revanna and protection for women, he said: “they might be doing it for public awareness, let them do it.”
On former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s demand that punishment should be given for the real culprits behind the pen drive leak and circulation case, Dr. Parameshwara said: “we are doing it and for that purpose only SIT has been formed”.
“From the probe it will be known as to who is involved, who distributed the pen drives. Investigation is on. Making statements at this stage may hamper the probe,” the Home Minister said.
