‘Central leadership will decide about alliance with JD(S) after polls’: R Ashoka amid obscene video row

BENGALURU : Amid the obscene video controversy against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, R Ashoka, BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka assembly, said that the decision on “whether to stay in alliance with JD(S) or not” will be taken by the central leadership after the Lok Sabha elections.

Ashoka assured action against Prajwal Revanna at the party level pointing out that the JD(S) has already suspended him.

“100 per cent we’ll propose to disqualify him, we’ll take action against him(Prajwal Revanna), JDS have already suspended him, we’ll check legally whether they will remain in the NDA alliance or not. As far as alliance is concerned, our central leadership will decide after vLok sabha election whether we should stay with JDS or not,” Ashoka said.

He further alleged that the failure of Karnataka intelligence facilitated Prajwal Revanna to flee the country. The BJP leader also welcomed the arrest of JD(S) leader and Prajwal Revanna’s father HD Revanna by the SIT in connection with the case.

“If Karnataka’s intelligence was intact, they wouldn’t have left him, whose mistake is this, being a state government you would have written a letter to stop him from leaving,” Ashoka said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: On JD(S) leader HD Revanna's arrest, opposition leader (LoP) R. Ashok says, "Our stand is clear…I want to ask the Congress party why Prajwal was allowed to go? This is a matter of concern for the state government. Why did Congress not write a… pic.twitter.com/55jWOA1M0R

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2024

“I welcome the action taken by the SIT arresting HD Revanna, they must take strict action against him, this is our stand,” he added.

He also pointed out Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s previous social media posts from 2019 supporting Prajwal Revanna when the Congress and JD(S) were in alliance.

“On 17.04.2019, Siddaramaiah sought votes for JDS, he also praised Prajwal Revanna. I’m reading Siddaramaiah’s tweet – Prajwal Revanna is a young leader with great vision for karnataka with huge support in the hassan, I request everyone to cast their votes in his favour in the upcoming Lok Sabha election 2019,” Ashoka said.

“This is what Siddaramaiah tweeted and supported Prajwal Revanna then. Now let Siddaramaiah tell why he supported him, he’s still an MP who had a coalition with Congress,” he added.

Revanna was booked in the case on April 28 based on a complaint lodged at Holenarasipura Town police.

The case was 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 claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna had sexually assaulted her. A look out notice has been issued against Prajwal Revanna who is currently claimed to be in Germany.

Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of JD(S) party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.

Speaking on the alleged obscene video case earlier this month, Amit Shah said that BJP stands with the ‘Matr Shakti’ while criticising the ruling Congress government in Karnataka for allegedly delaying action.

“BJP’s stand is clear that we stand with the ‘Matr Shakti’ of the country. I want to ask Congress and Priyanka ji who is demanding action, whose government is there? The government is of Congress Party. Why they have not taken any action till now? We do not have to take action on this as this is a law and order issue of the state, state government has to take action on it,” he said. (ANI)