Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reacted to the charges of sexual assault levelled against suspended JD (S) leader Prajwal Revanna for the first time by affirming "zero tolerance" towards such individuals. He also hit out at the Congress for the timing of the release of the videos.
Elaborating further, Modi, in an interview to the private news channel, Times Now, remarked that it was a law and order issue and the state government is responsible for taking action in the case. Modi said that stringent punishment should be given to such individuals using all available legal options.
JD (S) MP representing Hassan constituency and former PM H D Deve Gowda's grandson Prajwal Revanna is accused of sexually abusing a large number of women and shooting videos of the same.
The Congress government in Karnataka led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Prajwal has fled the country. A blue corner notice has been issued against him.
It was reported that HD Deve Gowda held deliberations with legal experts to chalk out a strategy to set up a strong defence for his grandson who finds himself in the midst of a major sex assault case this election season.
Modi added that thousands of videos wouldn't have been recorded in a single day, suggesting that they were likely captured during the period when JD (S) was in alliance with Congress. These videos, he noted, were made during their time in power and subsequently released during the election after a particular community – Vokkaligas, exercised their franchise.
Modi further remarked that the videos were released after the accused fled the country. He criticized the lack of action and surveillance at the airport, suggesting that if authorities had prior knowledge, they should have taken preventive measures. Additionally, he noted the absence of communication with the Central government regarding the matter. He insinuated that these actions might be part of a political strategy, implying that the timing of the video releases was deliberate.
PM Modi said that the key concern currently is to bring the accused back to India to face the charges. He noted that no wrongdoer should escape punishment and emphasized the need to prevent such incidents in the country.
