Karnataka Minister Criticizes Kumaraswamy Over Prajwal Revanna Case and Womens Rights
Karnatakas N. Cheluvarayaswamy criticizes Kumaraswamy for sympathizing with Prajwal Revanna while neglecting the plight of affected women.
Bengaluru, October 14 (Daily Kiran) : Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy has publicly criticized Central Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for showing sympathy towards Prajwal Revanna, a former MP convicted in a rape case. Cheluvarayaswamy accused Kumaraswamy of ignoring the struggles of the women allegedly affected by Revanna’s actions.
Prajwal Revanna, the nephew of Kumaraswamy and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, is currently incarcerated in a central prison in Bengaluru following his conviction. Cheluvarayaswamy stated that if Kumaraswamy has information related to the Hassen pen drive incident, he should file a complaint. He assured that action would be taken upon receiving such a complaint.
“He believes Prajwal Revanna is innocent,” Cheluvarayaswamy remarked, adding that Kumaraswamy should take action against those involved in distributing the pen drives. He expressed his willingness to urge the Chief Minister for an investigation if a complaint is lodged.
The minister further alleged that Kumaraswamy is more concerned about Revanna than the hundreds of women who have allegedly suffered injustice due to the case. “What about the lives of those women? Where are they now? What has happened to their families?” he questioned, emphasizing the need to address their hardships.
Cheluvarayaswamy noted that, given the sensitivity of the case, the Congress party has refrained from discussing it extensively. However, he accused Kumaraswamy of continuously bringing the issue to the forefront.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy had raised questions regarding the timing of Revanna’s transfer to jail, suggesting that such matters are often highlighted to distract the public from pressing issues, like the farmers’ protests in Bidadi. He questioned why it took authorities a year and a half to address the alleged incidents at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.
Kumaraswamy also referenced media reports about Revanna’s transfer to Hindalaga Jail and back, demanding answers regarding who issued the transfer orders and the related phone calls. He clarified that he does not oppose the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for Revanna’s case but insisted that similar seriousness should be applied to other cases as well.
In questioning the investigation into the distribution of the pen drives, Kumaraswamy asked how many arrests had been made and how many women had filed complaints, pressing for transparency in the ongoing inquiry.
