Advertisement
He alleged that the JD(S) first family of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda helped him flee the country.
Siddaramaiah also said the Prime Minister’s office did not respond to his two letters for cancellation of Prajwal’s diplomatic passport.
“His (Kumaraswamy’s) nephew has done rape and sexual harassment. It is not important who circulated the video. The person who raped has committed a crime. To dilute it, Kumaraswamy is talking gibberish and is blaming Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and others. He should respect the law of the land,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here in Mysuru.
Related Articles
Advertisement
He is facing charges of sexually abusing multiple women after a huge cache of videos of the alleged abuse by Prajwal surfaced.
Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls, and is still at large.
A ‘Blue Corner Notice’ seeking information on his whereabouts has already been issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant against Prajwal, following an application moved by the SIT.
The chief minister said Prajwal has committed offences but yet Kumaraswamy says his nephew is not a criminal but an accused.
On former prime minister Deve Gowda’s warning that his grandson Prajwal will be isolated if he does not return to India, Siddaramaiah sought to know whether he could leave the country without the knowledge of his family members.
Regarding Kumaraswamy’s statement that he was not in contact with Prajwal, he pointed out that Kumaraswamy had called Prajwal his son while canvassing for him during the Lok Sabha elections.
On Kumaraswamy’s apprehension that this case will not reach its logical end, Siddaramaiah said, “We have got all confidence in the SIT. The SIT is formed for a dedicated investigation into the case.”
To a query, the CM said he has not received any response from the PM though he wrote two letters to him asking him to cancel Prajwal’s diplomatic passport.
When he was told that people get quick response from the PMO, Siddaramaiah said, “It is your mistake to believe so. He has not replied to many of my letters.”
Replying to a query, he said he will not call the prime minister selective, “but he did not reply to my letters”.
“There is a belief that when a chief minister of an elected government sends a letter to the prime minister, it is expected to get a reply. He did not answer to my first letter. Let’s see whether he replies to the second letter,” the chief minister said.
To a question whether the delay in reply was due to Lok Sabha elections, he said this question should be asked to the BJP leaders.
“Ask this to Union Minister Pralhad, who talks a lot,” he quipped.