New Delhi—Karnataka Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna finds himself in a situation where he has recorded himself sexually exploiting many women. The first allegations surfaced after the recordings of the MP appeared online. As per reports, he used these videos as a tool to blackmail the women for continuing their sexual relationship. These allegations also include Prajwal’s father, HD Revanna, with complaints of extended inappropriate behavior to the staff and family members.
Prajwal, who is the JDS party member, is also among these allegations. At present, he is contesting for re-election and is the grandson of the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. His constituency votes in the ongoing general elections, part of the world’s largest democratic exercise that spans seven weeks with nearly a billion eligible voters.
The matter has further heated up with a local leader of the friendly party showing up in the scene, claiming that he had been given a USB stick with all the controversial videos on it. And, indeed, in a few hours, the first fragments of those videos appeared on the net, followed by instant public indignation and lawsuits. Two women have since spoken out on local media, accusing Prajwal of manhandling them. Another complaint with a local police station filed by a 47-year-old woman, who worked at his household, has accused him and his father of repeatedly assaulting her.
In the wake of the scam, Karnataka police have taken suo moto cognizance and registered a case against Prajwal for serious allegations of sexual harassment and others. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate deeply into the matter. But Prajwal has flown out of the country while facing serious allegations, and his father says that his son will come back if required for the investigation.
These allegations are politically far-reaching, as the JDS is allied to the BJP and tries to put political distance from it. A local BJP leader claimed that he had earlier warned that an alliance with Raut might not be safe, as it could throw up scandals. He quoted a pen drive that had several explicit videos. However, Congress staged protest rallies and criticized the BJP in public for its alliance with the JDS in the face of such allegations, even doubting the very sanctity of the alliance.
This scandal is posing a threat to the political career of Prajwal Revanna. But more importantly, this scandal is also making a dent in political alliances and ethical standards in Indian politics, with some serious questions raising about accountability and justice.
