"BJP ensured that Prajwal Revanna fled country": Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge

Amid reports about Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna leaving the country, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday claimed that it is Bharatiya Janata Party that has helped Hassan MP escape authorities in the alleged obscene video case.

Prajwal Revanna was booked in a sexual harassment case on Sunday following complaints by his former house help.

Speaking to ANI, Priyank Kharge said, "They (BJP) ensured that he fled the country. Today, if he's left the country as the rumours are being floated, then how did he leave the country? Who facilitated it? I'm directly blaming the BJP on this front."


Kharge further slammed the BJP-JDS alliance for fielding Revanna again in the Lok Sabha elections and questioned their silence over the matter.

"Despite knowing the fact that the Hassan MP (Prajwal Revanna) was known for such antecedents, despite letters being received by them from BJP functionaries, from BJP office bearers, that there are thousands of victims who have been abused by the Hassan MP. Still, they went in and gave the ticket. They were so quick to capitalize on the Hubballi murder case. Why are they so silent now? Why aren't they protesting in every town? Why aren't they protesting in every village like they did during the Hubballi murder?" he asked.

Earlier today, Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Sharana Gowda Kandakur wrote to party president HD Deve Gowda demanding the expulsion of Prajwal Revanna from the party over the alleged obscene video case.

Kandakur said that the expulsion of HD Deve Gowda's grandson will save the party from further embarrassment.

"Our party symbol is a woman who is carrying paddy on her head, you have built the party on social and secular ideology which people believe. BJP is a national party in alliance with us though we are a regional party which shows the importance of our party. In all this background the circulating videos caused huge embarrassment to the party. Already state govt has formed an SIT, and an internal committee in the party must be formed. That's why to keep the party away from embarrassment and to make sure it will not affect the second phase of the election, I request you to expel Prajwal Revanna from the party," he wrote.

Meanwhile, the Congress' women's unit also staged a protest in Bengaluru demanding the arrest of the JDS MP.

Prajwal Revanna is seeking a fresh term in the Lower House from Hassan as a candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and is pitted against Congress' Shreyas Patel. The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against MP Revanna.

The SIT headed by IPS officer Vijay Kumar Singh, and includes DG CID Suman D Pennekar and IPS officer Seema Latkar have started the investigation into the case.