A war of words broke out between Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday over the circulation of pen drives containing clips of alleged sexual assault on women by Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, with the former calling the latter as the “king of blackmail”.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who was termed as the “main conspirator” behind the release of the pen drives by Mr. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday, alleged that the JD(S) leader was threatening officers and politicians in the case. “He is the king of blackmail. He had said that his and [former Prime Minister] H.D. Deve Gowda’s family should not be dragged into the case and had denied any ties with [MLA] H.D. Revanna’s family. If he has point-to-point information, let him go before the court. We have time to discuss all these in the Assembly. I wish he and other [JD-S] party leaders meet the victims to console them,” he told reporters in Chikkamagaluru.
Responding to this, Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons in Bengaluru that the Deputy Chief Minister had used the incident for selfish gains, and that the government was protecting those who had circulated the pen drives. “I am not a blackmailer. Everyone knows his (Mr. Shivakumar) culture. Why did he speak to Devaraje Gowda [BJP leader who has accused Mr. Shivakumar of being behind the circulation of pen drives]? You have conspired everything and are now showing sympathy. You released videos without masking the faces of the women victims,” the JD(S) leader said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy said he was only fighting in Revanna’s case since he was a party legislator and his brother. “There is no change in my stand concerning Mr. Prajwal’s case.” Stating that he was aware of the developments in the abduction case in which Mr. Revanna is an accused, he added: “The abducted woman was found in her relative’s house and not in a farmhouse as claimed by the SIT. As many as 12 alleged women victims have been kept in the Kumara Krupa guesthouse (in Bengaluru)“.
Meanwhile, the JD(S) on Wednesday petitioned the Karnataka State Commission for Women seeking the arrest of those who were involved in the distribution of pen drives. JD(S) women’s wing president Rashmi Rame Gowda, in her petition, said that by circulating the pen drives, the accused had brought shame to the victims, and urged that the incident should be probed by the CBI.
“The action is punishable under the I-T Act, 2020. It is impossible for the women to get justice since an influential Cabinet Minister is involved in the distribution. The names of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister have come up in the circulation of pen drive. The SIT set up to investigate the scandal has failed,” she claimed.
State police are capable of handling the case: Parameshwara
Stating that there is no need to hand over the investigation of the sex abuse case involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to the CBI, Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Wednesday said the State police are capable of handling the case. “Barring political statements, the investigation is on track. The SIT will also probe those who have released the pen drives and will decide on calling (BJP leader) L.R. Shivarame Gowda for investigation. No one can be arrested without proof,” he said.
