Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case: BJP’s Vijayendra Yediyurappa says Gowda’s claims of sending letter on videos ‘false’

Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case: Amidst sexual abuse allegations on JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, BJP's Karnataka State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa, on Wednesday dismissed claims of receiving any communication about the videos made by another BJP leader, Devaraje Gowda, reported ANI. 

Gowda claimed that he had informed the state BJP president about sexual abuse allegations against Revanna and his alleged illegal filming of these acts in a letter, but Yediyurappa called this “patently false”, the report said. 

Also Read: Prajwal Revanna sex video case: Father HD Revanna says 'clip 5 years old’, alleges ‘conspiracy’

Revanna, MP from Hassan, is a part of Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S), which has aligned with the BJP to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in Karnataka. Yediyurappa is MLA from Shikaripura Assembly Constituency in Karnataka. Gowda is also a lawyer by profession. 

Addressing the issue via his official social media handle on X (formerly known as Twitter), Yediyurappa refuted Gowda's assertion that he sent a letter concerning the videos, stating categorically that no such communication had reached him, nor was he aware of the existence of said videos.

“Lawyer Devaraje Gowda's claim of sending me a letter on the videos is patently false. No such letter has reached me nor did I have any knowledge of the videos,” Yediyurappa wrote.

Also Read: Prajwal Revanna sex video case: Hassan MP himself sought gag order on assault videos in 2023, says report

In earlier statements, Gowda had highlighted allegations against Revanna, suggesting a communication gap within the party regarding concerns over the alleged videos.

“I wrote a letter to our president (Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yediyurappa) about the video and gave it to the office, but as he said, the letter had not reached him either... I wrote in the letter that there is no problem in allying with JD(S), but there are serious allegations on him (Prajwal Revanna) of sexual harassment... Karthik, the driver of Prajwal Revanna, came to me and said that he was being harassed. He (Karthik) said that he (Prajwal Revanna) has several obscene videos... I asked the driver if he had given this video to anyone... Karthik said that he had given the obscene videos to the Congress president... This pen drive will create problems, thinking about this I wrote a letter to the party... This is a communication gap, and he got the ticket... Also, it was not the mistake of the BJP as they (JD(S), despite having the intelligence report, gave him the ticket,” Gowda claimed.

Also Read: Prajwal Revanna sex abuse tapes: Did not give video clips to Congress, says JD(S) MP's driver Karthik

Congress criticised for delayed action

Further, Yediyurappa criticised Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for allegedly withholding information about the case until the general elections were closer. He questioned why the Congress government waited to initiate investigations and accused them of drama, the ANI report added.

“Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has admitted to knowing about the videos for months but waited to get closer to the elections to make them public. If he had known about the videos, why didn't the Congress government order investigations immediately? Why wait till the elections?” he said.

“Why take to the streets now when it is your government in the state and you have the power to order an investigation and take action? Why this drama? The Congress government must answer to the people,” he added.

Also Read: Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case: JD(S) MP, who fled India after Karnataka formed SIT, may return to India on May 3-4

Status of the case so far

Meanwhile, Revanna has been suspended from the JD(S) after the sexual abuse and illegal video allegations became public. He is the grandson of party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.

The case, registered on April 28, is pending investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government. 

The SIT, led by IPS officer Vijay Kumar Singh, DG CID Suman D Pennekar, and IPS officer Seema Latkar, has initiated an investigation into his former housekeeper's complaints.

Revanna faces charges under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC related to sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the dignity of a woman.

(With inputs from ANI)