Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday said the Karnataka State government will provide financial assistance to hundreds of victims allegedly sexually assaulted by Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna.
Addressing presspersons, Surjewala said the financial assistance has been announced since such an incident has never happened in 75 years. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced financial assistance to the rape victims who are in hundreds, since it is a unique case which has never happened in the last 75 years," Surjewala said.
Prajwal, the JD(S)-BJP alliance candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, is the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and nephew of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. He is wanted in a case pertaining to rape and molestation after hundreds of explicit videos allegedly came out in open.
Flanked by Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Surjewala charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah with protecting their alliance partner JD(S) candidate, who is a 'mass rapist'. "Why did BJP form an alliance with the JD(S) despite having information about Prajwal?" he asked.
He also sought to know why the External Affairs Ministry did not stop Prajwal from fleeing abroad.
"Why did the PM not cancel Prajwal's diplomatic passport and why no blue corner notice through Interpol was issued to bring him back?" Surjewala questioned.
Earlier on Sunday, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said, “A blue-corner notice has already been issued to nab Prajwal Revanna. The Special Investigation Team will locate him wherever he is and after that, procedurally whatever is required, SIT will do that to bring him here.”
In a meeting with the chief minister on Saturday, the SIT informed Siddaramaiah that the Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to issue a blue corner notice against Prajwal Revanna.
The SIT has reportedly sent a request to the CBI, the nodal body for Interpol matters in India, seeking a blue corner notice against Prajwal Revanna. "Once CBI issues this notice, SIT hopes to get information about the whereabouts of Prajwal Revanna," official sources told PTI.
-with inputs from agencies.
