Video clips purportedly featuring Prajwal Revanna emerged on social media shortly before the voting in Hassan on April 26 during Phase 2 of the elections.
A legal case has been initiated against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna
amidst a controversy surrounding explicit videos allegedly depicting him
engaging in sexual acts with multiple women. These videos surfaced on social
media shortly after he cast his vote on April 26 during Phase 2 of the
elections. Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of JDS chief and former Prime Minister
HD Deve Gowda, refutes these allegations, claiming the videos are fabricated,
and has filed a complaint accordingly. The Karnataka government has established
a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the matter following a
recommendation from the state women's commission.
The accusations against Prajwal Revanna involve explicit videos purportedly
filmed by him and circulated widely within the Hassan constituency.
Additionally, a woman has filed a police complaint accusing him of sexual
assault, alleging repeated abuse between 2019 and 2022. She further claims that
Prajwal Revanna behaved inappropriately with her daughter over a video call and
engaged in lewd conversations. Moreover, she alleges that Prajwal's father, HD
Revanna, also sexually assaulted her in his wife's absence and has expressed
concerns about threats to her and her family's safety.
BJP Leader Devaraje Gowda has claimed to have raised concerns about the
HD Deve Gowda family, including Prajwal Revanna, in a letter to then-state
president BY Vijayendra in December of the previous year. He alleged the
possession of a pen drive containing 2,976 explicit videos of women, which were
allegedly being used for blackmail to coerce them into further sexual
activities. Prajwal Revanna, a 33-year-old NDA candidate in the Hassan Lok
Sabha constituency, left for Germany shortly after the emergence of the videos,
asserting that they were manipulated to tarnish his reputation and influence
voters.
The scandal has triggered a political feud between the JDS and the BJP,
with the latter distancing itself from Prajwal Revanna amidst the controversy. JD(S)
leader H D Kumaraswamy expressed a willingness to await the outcome of the
investigation but emphasized that any wrongdoing must be addressed. Another
JD(S) leader, Sharangouda Kandkur, has demanded Prajwal Revanna's suspension,
citing embarrassment to the party and damage to its reputation. The Congress
has accused the BJP of assisting Prajwal Revanna in fleeing the country and
staged protests in Bengaluru, calling for his immediate arrest.