Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is strongly behind “Nari Shakti” and does not tolerate the insult of women, questioning the Congress government for not taking action in the raging controversy involving sex tapes purportedly featuring Janata Dal (Secular) parliamentarian Prajwal Revanna.
Prajwal, the 33-year-old grandson of JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, was suspended by his party hours later amid a firestorm in the election season. The JD(S) is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Karnataka. Prajwal is the NDA candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat — and the southern state’s ruling Congress and its allies across the country have stepped up attack on the Centre’s ruling BJP over the issue.
“The BJP’s stand is clear: we stand with ‘Nari Shakti’,” Shah said in a press conference in Assam’s Guwahati. “[Prime Minister] Narendra Modi’s commitment to the nation is not to tolerate any insult to the power of women. Still, I want to ask a small question to the Congress since they are levelling allegations against us. Who runs the government there [in Karnataka]? The Congress party runs the government,” he added, questioning the timing of the leak of sleaze video clips allegedly showing Revanna.
Shah stressed that law and order is a state issue and blamed the Congress government for inaction.
“Why has the Congress not conducted any probe till now? We’re not supposed to hold an investigation. Law and order is a state issue. Priyankaji [Priyanka Gandhi] is asking us questions. I want to tell her: instead of Narendra Modi and me, ask your questions to your chief minister and deputy chief minister that what your government is doing [in Karnataka], Shah said, replying to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s tweet demanding a response from the Prime Minister. Her allies, too, have questioned the BJP over its association with the JD(S) and Prajwal.
Prajwal, the incumbent Hassan MP, denies the allegations and has filed a complaint alleging that the videos are doctored. He left for Germany after the videos surfaced online. His father, HD Revanna, too, is an accused in the case. He is an MLA from Holenarasipur seat.
“We are in favour of a probe, and our ally, JD(S), too, has announced that it would take action [against Prajwal]. These kind of incidents should have no place in public life, society…Strict action should be taken in such cases. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s stand is clear and there is no confusion,” Shah said, just hours before Prajwal’s suspension.
The controversy erupted after video clips allegedly showing Prajwal indulging in sexual acts with women including government employees surfaced and were widely circulated in Hassan district. Subsequently, the Karnataka State Commission for Women asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to set up a special investigation team (SIT), and he ordered a SIT probe. A first information report (FIR) was lodged for sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, among others.
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