Karnataka lawmaker Prajwal Revanna – who fled to Germany last month, shortly after horrific sex crimes allegations by women who said he forced them into sexual acts – released a statement Monday, claiming comments and “political drama” by opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, “drove me to depression and I was pushed into isolation”.
“I apologise to my parents… I was in depression. I will come (back to India) and appear before the SIT (a special investigative team set up by the state government) on May 31 (Friday),” Revanna said.
“I will cooperate to the best of my abilities and provide all answers. I have full faith in the legal system (and) I will come out of these false cases against me. I have the blessings of God and my family…”
Four days after leaving the nation, on May 1, Revanna wrote a message on X. “I am not in Bengaluru,” he declared. I’ve spoken with the police through my attorney.The truth will ultimately triumph.”
Revanna is a leader in the Janata Dal (Secular) party. She is the granddaughter of former Prime Minister and party patriarch HD Deve Gowda and the nephew of senior leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
He is also the sitting MP from Karnataka’s Hassan Lok Sabha seat, which he has been nominated to defend in the 2024 general election. The JDS is allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP.
Revanna’s message – his first public comment on charges against him – comes after a warning from Deve Gowda, who told his grandson to return home and surrender “or face your family’s anger”.
I have issued a warning to @iPrajwalRevanna to return immediately from wherever he is and subject himself to the legal process. He should not test my patience any further. pic.twitter.com/kCMuNJOvAo
— H D Deve Gowda (@H_D_Devegowda) May 23, 2024
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Deve Gowda said he had warned Revanna to “not test my patience” and that it took him time to recover from the “shock and pain”. The former Prime Minister – targeted by the ruling Congress, former allies turned political rivals, over claims it was he sent Revanna abroad – stressed he had called for “the harshest punishment under the law” for his grandson “if (he is) found guilty…”
Revanna’s uncle, HD Kumaraswamy, has also made an appeal.
Last week, the former Chief Minister made an appeal to his nephew as well. “I have publicly pleaded with him, telling him to return if he respects the party and Deve Gowda. Participate in the investigation. Show that you haven’t done anything. Revanna was told to “face the punishment if you have.”
The fact that the Ministry of External Affairs is planning to revoke Revanna’s diplomatic passport could make his return home more difficult. The state government has made a request to that effect.
The centre is in the process of cancelling the travel document, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. Mr Jaishankar also took the chance for a jibe against Karnataka’s ruling Congress, declaring the request to cancel the passport was made only on May 21, several days after the scandal broke.
Regarding the Revanna case, the Congress and the BJP have been at odds with one another.
The former has claimed that Prajwal Revanna is being protected by the alliance between the BJP and the JDS, while the latter has criticized the state government for its slow response.
