Revanna case: BJP launches counter-attack on Congress, questions delayed action by Karnataka govt

New Delhi/Guwahati: The BJP on Tuesday welcomed the JD(S) decision to suspend MP Prajwal Revanna over allegations of sexual abuse, asserting that it will push for the full might of law against him, and launched a fierce counter-attack on Congress for “delayed” action by the Karnataka government.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other top BJP leaders questioned the Congress government in Karnataka as to why it did not take action against Prajwal when law and order is a state subject.

Police on Sunday booked Prajwal Revanna and his father H D Revanna on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman, who worked in their household. Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and nephew of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

A day after the Congress tore into the BJP over the allegations against the leader of its ally JD(S) in Karnataka, Shah hit back, asking, “Whose government is there in that state.”

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Shah said the issue regarding Revanna reported in the media “is very hurtful and cannot be tolerated in any way”.

“The BJP’s stand is very clear; we will not tolerate any insult to ‘matri aur nari shakti’,” he asserted.

The home minister said Congress has been alleging that an NDA partner’s candidate is involved in the incident, “but I just want to ask a small question – whose government is there in that state (Karnataka)?”

“The Congress is in power in Karnataka, and this matter must have come to their attention. Why has it not taken any action on it so far? We cannot take any action as law and order is a state issue,” Shah said.

In Delhi, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters that the BJP has zero tolerance towards crimes against women, while accusing the Congress of double standards and being selective on the issue.

If the Congress government in Karnataka was aware of the case for weeks and months, then why did it not act so far against the accused, he asked.

The JD(S) on Tuesday suspended its Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna over the alleged sex scandal.

“We are glad… The law will take its course,” Chandrasekhar said on the suspension.

Citing the Sandeshkhali case and the killing of Neha Hiremath, daughter of a Congress leader in Karnataka, he accused the Congress of seeking to selectively pick crimes and victims to speak on.

Asked about the criticism that the BJP maintained silence even though Revanna’s involvement in the case was being talked about long before it came into public domain, he said the presence of a “video” itself is not a crime and claimed that the fact that women were coerced and exploited has come out only now.