Though the sexual abuse allegations against Prajwal Revanna were brought to the notice of the senior BJP leadership, the "Prime Minister campaigned and canvassed for a mass rapist", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to “extend all possible support to victims” of the alleged sexual abuse case involving Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna and ensure that “all parties responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to book.” He said that “from wrestlers in Haryana to the sisters in Manipur, women were bearing the brunt” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support to criminals.
“In my two decades of public life, I have never come across a senior public representative who has constantly chosen silence in face of untold violence against women. From our wrestlers in Haryana to our sisters in Manipur, Indian women are bearing the brunt of PM’s tacit support for such criminals,” the letter said.
Highlighting allegations that the Hassan MP sexually assaulted and filmed hundreds of women over several years, Rahul Gandhi said that the “rape of our mothers and sisters warrants the strictest possible punishment.”
“I am deeply shocked to learn that as far back as December 2023, our Home Minister Shri Amit Shah was informed by Shri G Devaraje Gowda about Prajwal Revanna’s antecedents, especially his history of sexual violence and the presence of videos filmed by the perpetrator.” Hassan BJP leader Devaraje Gowda had unsuccessfully contested elections against Prajwal’s father H D Revanna in the 2023 Assembly election from Holenarasipura.
“What is even more shocking is that despite these gruesome allegations being brought to the notice of the senior most BJP leadership, the Prime Minister campaigned and canvassed for a mass rapist,” Rahul said, accusing the Centre of wilfully allowing Prajwal to “flee India to derail any meaningful investigation,” the letter said.
The letter, dated May 3, came on a day when a second FIR alleging rape was registered against Prajwal by a former Hassan Zilla Panchayat member. His father H D Revanna was also booked in a kidnapping case wherein the accused alleged that one of the victims filmed in the private videos was abducted by the MLA’s aides.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the allegations has conducted spot mahazar at the residence of H D Revanna.
A case was registered by the Holenarasipura town police in the last week of April after pen drives with over 2,900 files went viral in Hassan. A 47-year-old woman had earlier filed a police complaint alleging she was sexually abused by Prajwal and his father.
