If JDS & BJP leaders respect women, they should visit sexual abuse victims: Dy CM Shivakumar

PTI, May 1, 2024, 6:29 PM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said JD (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and BJP leaders must pay a visit to the victims of Hassan sexual abuse case if they have any respect for women.

Prajwal (33) is the grandson of JD(S) chief and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, and the son of former minister and current MLA H D Revanna, who too has been accused by a worker of his household of sexual harassment.

Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said, “Kumaraswamy and BJP leaders talk a lot about women. If they really have any respect for women, they must express solidarity with the victims by paying them a visit.”

Asked about Kumaraswamy’s statement that a ‘mahanayaka’ was behind the pen drive incident, he said, “Our party spokesmen have spoken in length about whom Devaraje Gowda met with regards to the pen drive. Devaraje Gowda had met Kumaraswamy too regarding this besides writing to the BJP leaders. We don’t have any need to resort to such cheap politics. I will speak about this later.”

The alleged sex scandal involving Prajwal is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government. He is believed to have escaped to Germany shortly after polling in the first phase of elections in the state got over on April 26, in which Prajwal was the JD(S)-BJP combine’s candidate from Hassan.

Nearly 3,000 explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal sexually abusing several women had started doing the rounds in Hassan in recent days.

Amid reports that Prajwal’s elder brother and Member of Legislative Council Suraj Revanna had met him, Shivakumar said, “Yes, he (Suraj) met me. You may ask him why he had met me.”