The deputy chief minister of Chikkamagaluru and Bengaluru, DK Shivakumar, has accused former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of playing a key role in the circulation of explicit videos allegedly linked to Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. Shivakumar called Kumaraswamy the “king of blackmailing” and stated that he is getting things done through BJP and is behind everything. Kumaraswamy had previously alleged that 25,000 pen drives containing videos of women being sexually abused were distributed with the help of police officers, and he had accused Shivakumar of being involved in a conspiracy to defame JD(S) and PM Narendra Modi.
Shivakumar also mentioned that if Kumaraswamy has any shame, he should meet the families of the survivors of the alleged sex scandal and give them courage. He claimed that many survivors are JD(S) members, implying that Kumaraswamy and the JD(S) are trying to protect their own interests.
Senior Congress ministers, including Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, and Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar, have rallied behind Shivakumar, insisting that he is not involved in the case. They stated that the focus should be on the sex crimes themselves, rather than discussing who distributed the pen drives. Cheluvarayaswamy emphasized that the Vokkaliga community would never support those involved in heinous crimes and that dragging the community into the case is uncalled for.
In response to the allegations, Ramalinga Reddy blamed HD Revanna, Kumaraswamy’s brother and former minister, for failing to discipline his son Prajwal. He claimed that the clash between Prajwal, his former driver Karthik, and BJP functionary G Devarajegowda led to the case coming to light. Krishna Byre Gowda called for legal action to be taken against those who insensitively discuss the survivors in public, as it could amount to defamation.
The survivors of the alleged sex scandal are distressed, with many having fled their villages. The case has caused turmoil within the Karnataka political landscape, with politicians from different parties accusing each other and dragging their opponents into the controversy.
