Pen drive scandal poses headache for JDS-BJP, heartache for Deve Gowda

A most unexpected political tsunami has hit former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, his family and their party Janata Dal (Secular), in the wake of an explosive sex scandal that BJP leaders admit has jolted them, too.

Karnataka is literally on fire after unidentified persons placed hundreds – some say thousands – of pen drives in public places, detailing the alleged escapades of Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna. The pen drives have videos of the purported sexual activities of Prajwal with scores of women from various walks of life.

These were scattered across Hassan and adjoining areas with Vokkaliga bases (the Gowdas' community), and subsequently were shared on social media. 

Deve Gowda's son HD Revanna and his wife Bhavani dominate politics in Hassan, the family stronghold. Their sons Prajwal and Suraj are members of the Lok Sabha (seeking re-election from Hassan) and the Karnataka Legislative Council, respectively.

Scandal bursts

Apparently, the videos were made by unidentified person/s and loaded on Google Drive. This was reportedly hacked by political enemies, now leading to official complaints against two family members of Deve Gowda – Prajwal and his father HD Revanna.

The scandal was first talked about a year ago, but in whispers. Media reports said gag orders were taken by Prajwal and others, due to which the scandal went largely unreported earlier. 

Prajwal, 33, is said to have flown to Germany after the first whiff of the scandal became public knowledge a week before polling began in Karnataka. The state, with 28 Lok Sabha seats, completed one phase of voting on April 26, and will vote again on May 7.  

On April 26, voting took place in the Old Mysuru region, a Vokkaliga stronghold and a political hub of the Deve Gowda family as well as the JD(S).

With the scandal spreading like wildfire, Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the younger brother of HD Revanna, have stopped campaigning for now.

Not us: Kumaraswamy

Kumaraswamy did not outright reject the allegations swirling around the family but reacted cautiously to the media. "He who eats salt should drink water. The person who committed a mistake should be punished according to the law of the land,” he said without taking names.

"Neither I nor (my father) HD Deve Gowda have done such a thing. We have given respect to women and solved their problems. We will not forgive those who have done a wrong," he said.

JD(S) sources readily admit that the scandal has dealt a significant blow to the image of the 91-year-old Deve Gowda’s family as well as the family-controlled party. The patriarch is distressed by the developments, particularly since it has cropped up at a time when he is trying to salvage the party. 

This is compounded by the 'sacrifice' Deve Gowda made in the 2019 elections, relinquishing his home constituency of Hassan to Prajwal. Gowda himself moved to Tumkur constituency, only to lose.

Seat war

The scandal became fully blown soon after Prajwal Revanna was named the Lok Sabha candidate by the JD(S) despite the BJP's Pretham Gowda and others opposing it. It is said that even Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also not so keen on fielding Prajwal as a nominee of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

This was the reason, party sources told The Federal, that when Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy went to Delhi to seal an alliance with the BJP, they took the latter’s son Nikhil but not the Revannas.

But neither Deve Gowda and nor Kumaraswamy anticipated the severe backlash as hundreds of pen drives were found strewn in public places in and around Hassan in the third week of April. Within days, the scandal assumed turned into a raging political storm, stunning both the JD(S) and the BJP.

Official action

Some women's associations have filed a case with the Karnataka State Women's Commission asking for a thorough problem and punishment to the guilty.

Commission chairman Nagalakshmi Choudhary urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. It was after this that Prajwal Revanna reportedly flew to Germany.

Subsequently, a woman who had been a domestic help in the Revanna family home filed a police complaint alleging that she was physically abused for a long time by father and son. 

The complaint was filed with the Holenarasipur police station in Hassan, the political hub of Deve Gowda.

A source in the police department told The Federal that the case could have major repercussions. "This looks like a case where several VIPs are involved. Now the names of Prajwal and Revanna have come to the fore. Further investigations may reveal more startling revelations," the source said.

Setback to BJP

A BJP woman leader admitted to The Federal that the issue will virtually derail the campaign strategy of the BJP and JD(S) ahead of the second and final round of polling in Karnataka, for the remaining 14 Lok Sabha seats, on May 7.

“Our aggression against the Congress government will be blunted,” the leader admitted. “We will no more be able to go hammer and tongs over the murder of a young Hindu woman by a Muslim man (in Hubbali).”

Curiously, the Congress is not saying anything in public, either so as not to embarrass the ageing Deve Gowda or because the party feels that it is best for the BJP and JD(S) to suffer the consequences on their own.

A JD(S) leader explained the party’s predicament at the irony of the situation. “We have a symbol of 'A Lady Farmer Carrying Paddy on her Head' as the election symbol. It's a representation of women," the leader said, quickly adding: "Of course, this is only a case now, and a not a verdict from the court.”

Sagging fortunes

Only last year, the JD(S) suffered a shock defeat in the Assembly elections, winning just 19 of the 224 seats. In desperation, Deve Gowda made a political U-turn and embraced the BJP for survival.

The latest scandal, the party admits, could not have come at a worse time.