Take action against Prajwal as per law, but cases against H.D. Revanna were created to get him arrested, says former PM H.D. Deve Gowda in first comment on sex abuse scandal

Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, who is celebrating his 91st birthday on May 18, said while all possible action should be taken against his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna as per the law of the land, he alleged that the cases against his son and Holenarasipura MLA H. D. Revanna were ‘created’ to arrest him. 

This is the first comment by the Janata Dal (Secular) supremo on the sex abuse allegations against his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. 

Mr. Deve Gowda had not stepped out of his Padmanabhanagar residence in Bengaluru since April 27 when Prajwal Revanna left the country for Germany. The last time, the former PM was seen in public was when he cast his vote, along with his wife, in his village Paduvalahippe, Holenarasipura, Hassan district of Karnataka, on April 26.

He emerged out of his Padmanabhanagar residence in Bengaluru on May 18 morning to visit a temple on his birthday and spoke to waiting mediapersons outside his house.

Mr. Revanna was arrested in the abduction case from the same house on May 4, and returned to it after being released on bail on May 14. 

Holenarasipura MLA H.D. Revanna coming out of Parappana Agrahara Central prison after getting bail in an abduction case, in Bengaluru on May 14, 2024. (Source: K BHAGYA PRAKASH)

“H. D. Kumaraswamy has already spoken at length on behalf of our entire family and the party on the ongoing issue pertaining to Prajwal Revanna and H. D. Revanna. As Mr. Kumaraswamy has said, it is the government’s responsibility to take all possible action against Prajwal Revanna under the ambit of the law of the land. We have no objection whatsoever to this. But, the people of the State have also realised by now that the cases against H. D. Revanna were created to target him. He has already got bail in one case and the judgment on a bail petition in another case is expected on May 20,” Mr. Deve Gowda said. 

However, echoing Mr. Kumaraswamy’s line of attack against the State Government and Congress leader D. K. Shivakumar, Mr. Deve Gowda said, “Many people are involved in this case. I don’t want to take anyone’s name at this time. All of those involved should be brought to book, and all women who have been victimised should be provided justice.”