Mandya (Karnataka): Janata Dal (Secular) workers on Tuesday held a protest against Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar and Bharatiya Janata Party leader LR Shivarame Gowda. Workers alleged that the Congress government here is "intentionally targeting" the family of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in the Prajwal Revanna obscene video case.
JD(S) leaders CS Puttaraju, Suresh Gowda, and Srikanth Gowda along with party protestors blocked the Mysuru- Bengaluru highway and raised slogans against both leaders. Protestors also burnt the effigy of LR Shivarame Gowda and DK Shivakumar. They alleged that these leaders had conspired together in the obscene video case against Revanna. Protestors also demanded CBI enquiry and expressed their dissatisfaction with the ongoing SIT investigation.
Refuting the allegations made by whistleblower Advocate Devaraje Gowda that BJP leader LR Shivarame Gowda and DK Shivakumar conspired together in this case, LR Shivarame Gowda said that such allegations are totally baseless, and Devaraje Gowda had put pressure on him for a meeting with DK Shivakumar.
"100 per cent I am not concerned, Devaraje Gowda was pressuring me to set up a meeting with DK Shivakumar then only I make the arrangements. They only spoke for 2 minutes and Shivakumar clearly told him to submit the evidence before SIT. Devaraje Gowda is a blackmailer. JDS wants to divert the case and that's why they are making allegations against CM and Deputy CM. This is the biggest scandal in the world," LR Shivarame Gowda told ANI.
Earlier today, former Karnataka CM and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that the state government wanted the character assassination of party leader HD Revanna, who is in judicial custody after he was booked in a kidnapping case.
"This government does not want a fair inquiry. They are misusing the office. Nothing is going to happen ultimately. They wanted character assassination of HD Revanna and for that reason, they are using their office," Kumaraswamy told ANI.
Asked if he would be meeting Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, he said they would submit a memorandum to the Governor.
"With all documentary evidence, we are going to submit a memorandum to the Governor to take action against this government. The way this inquiry is going on, it seems this is not Special Investigation Team but Siddaramaiah Investigation Team and Shivakumar Investigation Team," he alleged.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Congress came out in defence of DK Shivakumar over Kumaraswamy's allegations saying that this is just a "continuation of BJP's bad politics".
"The video was shot by Prajwal, Prajwal used women inhumanly, The video was stolen by the driver Karthik, Devarajegowda got the pen drive from Karthik, Devarajegowda said several times that there is a video, let it out, Devarajegowda left the pen drive outside, Devarajegowda wrote a letter to Vijayendra and Amit Shah, It was encouraged by brother Swami! BJP + JDS are present in all these events. In this case DK Shivakumar 's name being dragged is just a continuation of BJP's bad politics. If BJP and JDS parties really have morals, let them leave this dirty politics and comfort the women who suffered," Karnataka Congress posted on X.
The father-son duo, HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna are also facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household. The Karnataka government constituted an SIT team to probe the obscene video case.
HD Revanna was arrested on May 4 in a kidnapping case linked to the 'obscene video' case. He was later sent to State Investigation Team (SIT) custody till May 8.
JD(S) has fielded Prajwal Revanna, a sitting MP from Hassan to contest from the same seat in the Lok Sabha polls.
