‘BJP will never support atrocities against women’: Amit Shah in Hubballi

HUBBALLI: Amid the row over Prajwal Revanna ‘obscene video’ case, Union Home Minister Amit Shah strongly asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) never supports atrocities against women. He accused the Siddaramaiah government of allowing Prajwal to flee the country.

Addressing a public meeting in Hubbali on Wednesday, Amit Shah said, “Right now, we have an alliance with the JD(S) and then Prajwal Revanna’s case came up. I want to make it clear, BJP will never support atrocities against women”.

Attacking the Congress government in the state, he alleged that the Karnataka government didn’t take action until the election of the Vokkaliga belt was over. He further added that the BJP’s stand is clear that whose behind such crimes will be given the “harshest punishment”.

“Listen Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, the government is yours, of Congress. It was you who was supposed to take action. You did not take any action until the election of Vokkaliga belt was over, you did politics and let him escape (Prajwal Revanna)”, Shah said.

“If you have guts, say the truth, because of you a person who committed a heinous crime escaped…even though they’re (JD(S)) our ally, our stand is clear, those who commit such crimes, need to be given harshest punishment,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the Home Minister launched a scathing attack on Congress, and said its government in Karnataka knew about the obscene video allegations against suspended JD-S leader Prajwal Revanna for months but allowed him to flee as it wanted the voting for Lok Sabha polls in Vokkaliga-dominated areas in the state to conclude.

Shah said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and state Home Minister G Parameshwara were responsible for Revanna fleeing the country. Congress and some other opposition parties have attacked the BJP over Revanna leaving the country.

Hitting back, Amit Shah accused the Congress government of waiting for action until the first phase of voting in the state on April 26 due to its political calculations.

“Whose government is it in Karnataka? Congress party’s. Law and order is their responsibility. They knew about it for months. But they didn’t nab him until the Vokkaliga voting concluded. They let him flee. Karnataka CM, HM, Deputy CM are responsible for it”, he said.

A political row has erupted over Prajwal Revanna, who has been booked by Karnataka Police in the “obscene video” case, “having left the country” and claims of some opposition parties that he had gone to a European country.

Congress and AIMIM are among the political parties who have claimed that Revanna has gone to Germany. Prajwal Revanna is the MP from Hassan and is re-contesting from the seat as a NDA candidate. BJP and JD(S) have formed an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls in Karanataka.

Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 following complaints by his former housekeeper.

The case has been registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the dignity of a woman. As per the complaint, the victim has claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna had sexually assaulted her. Revanna is the grandson of party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.

The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against Prajwal Revanna. On Wednesday, Prajwal Revanna made his first remarks after being booked by the Karnataka police. The suspended JD-S leader has been asked to appear before the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

In a post on X, Revanna said, “As I am not in Bangalore to attend the inquiry, I have communicated to CID, Bangalore, through my advocate. The truth will prevail soon.” The JD(S) core committee on Monday recommended the suspension of Prajwal Revanna.

Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats and elections in the state are being held in two phases. Voting for 14 seats concluded on April 26 and the remaining 14 seats will undergo polling on May 7. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.

In 2019, BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats, while Congress and JD(S) — who were running a coalition government in the state — could only win one seat each. This time BJP and JD(S) are in coalition with the former fighting on 25 seats, while the latter is contesting three seats. (ANI)