Kumaraswamy and Shivakumar spar over sex scandal involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna

Bengaluru/Hubballi: Senior JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday engaged in a war of words over the alleged sex scandal involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.

Kumaraswamy, who is JD(S) second-in-command, accused Shivakumar of hatching the conspiracy of circulating the videos in public and then setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the matter.

"Bringing out truth of the main accused is just one part of it. How the pen drive was circulated, and the 'great leader' (Shivakumar) who circulated it, for what reason it was circulated, for how many months the 'great leader' was aware of it. These are the questions," Kumaraswamy told reporters in Hubballi.

He attended the core-committee meeting of the JD(S) held in Hubballi which recommended the suspension of Prajwal Revanna from the party.

Noting that his nephew will face the consequences if he has committed a mistake, the former chief minister said there was a need to discuss the ‘great leader’ (Shivakumar) who organised the protest against the JD(S) in Hubballi today.

Prajwal is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and nephew of Kumaraswamy.

The Karnataka government has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of IPS officers led by Additional Director General of Police B K Singh to probe the alleged sexual harassment to many women by Prajwal, who is said to be in Germany at present.

Two days ago, an FIR was registered against Prajwal as well as his father Revanna at the Holenarasipura police station in Hassan district for sexually harassing their former cook.

Reacting to Kumaraswamy’s allegation, Shivakumar said the JD(S) first family has been remembering him for many years without which they do not get proper sleep.

"Kumaraswamy had said in the television interview that the BJP high command had cautioned him that he (Prajwal) is not good and think before giving him a ticket. He also said giving ticket to Prajwal was his father Deve Gowda’s decision," claimed Shivakumar.

Terming the charges against Prajwal "serious", the deputy chief minister said the matter here is women’s modesty.

"The information I got is that nearly 200 to 300 families, their honour, their relatives, their women and daughters, JD(S) party workers and those whom they gave jobs, contractors… I have not seen them all (videos) but people are saying this," Shivakumar said.

The deputy chief minister also took a dig at the BJP leaders for not speaking about Prajwal Revanna case.

"This morning, Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave a statement asking people what the DCM is doing. He said there is no justice for women in Karnataka. You (Centre) sent a team of the National Commission for Women to Udupi when someone took photos (in a girls’ hostel), but why BJP leaders are not talking about it (Prajwal Revanna's case)?" he asked.