Deve Gowda planned grandson Prajwal's escape: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Yadgir (Karnataka), May 1 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda planned the escape of his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna abroad.

Prajwal is accused in an alleged sex scandal which is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government. He is believed to have escaped to Germany shortly after polling in the first phase of elections in the state got over on April 26, in which Prajwal was the JD(S)-BJP combine's candidate from Hassan.

“Who gives passport and visa for travelling abroad? It’s the Centre. Can he go without the Centre’s knowledge? It was former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who planned and sent him abroad,” the Chief Minister told reporters.

He was replying to a query on BJP’s allegation that the state government allowed him to escape.

The Chief Minister also slammed Home Minister Amit Shah and asked why his party gave ticket to its alliance partner candidate if BJP was pro "Matru Shakti" (women power).

The SIT headed by Additional Director General of Police B K Singh was formed after a huge cache of explicit videos, allegedly featuring Prajwal, went viral on social media. The team has two other IPS officers of SP rank.

Gowda’s son and former minister H D Revanna and his son Prajwal are facing sexual harassment allegations after a case was registered against them.

On Amit Shah’s statement that his party "respected Matru aur Nari Shakti", Siddaramaiah sought to know why it gave Prajwal a ticket when it had information about his videos beforehand.

“Why did BJP give ticket to him if it was ‘Pro-Matru-Shakti’? When they were aware of the video why the ticket was given to him? Why did they form an alliance when they knew that there were such videos? What does it mean? What does it indicate? Please explain to me,” the Chief Minister said.

He also ruled out his deputy D K Shivakumar’s involvement in leaking the videos as has been alleged by JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy.

“Kumaraswamy says that these videos were leaked. Karthik is Prajwal Revanna’s driver. He has said he gave it (pen drive comprising videos and photos) to BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda. Did he say that he gave it to D K Shivakumar? How can he (Kumaraswamy) say that D K Shivakumar released it,” Siddaramaiah said.

He underlined that Devaraje Gowda had said that he received it but denied releasing it.

“If such is the case then, who released it (videos)? Whom did he give the pen drive to? D K Shivakumar has no connection with this case,” the Chief Minister said.

He asked reporters to wait for the outcome of the investigation into the case.

He said the investigation will be transparent and his party will not interfere with the SIT or its probe. PTI