Prajwal breaks silence over sexual abuse allegations; Cong keeps up heat on BJP

Bengaluru | Breaking his silence over the sexual abuse allegations against him, Hassan MP and BJP-JD (S) alliance candidate for Lok Sabha Prajwal Revanna said truth will prevail and sought seven days to appear before the SIT probing the charges, even as the Congress stepped up its attack against the saffron party.

"Is being part of Modi's 'political family' a 'guarantee of protection' for criminals?" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the state chief minister Siddaramaiah urged the PM to take swift action to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal that the Janata Dal (Secular) leader used to travel abroad.

With his party under fire over the matter, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the saffron organisation cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women.

Prajwal and his father H D Revanna, former Karnataka minister, were booked by police on Sunday 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 Karnataka ex-chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Taking to Facebook, Prajwal Revanna posted: "As I am not in Bangalore to attend the inquiry, I have communicated to CID Bangalore through my advocate. Truth will prevail soon."

There was no immediate comment from the Special Investigation Team on Prajwal's request.

The MP left the country as soon as the election to his constituency ended and is believed to be in Germany. Nearly 3,000 explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal sexually abusing several women have gone viral in Hassan in recent days.

Congress kept up the heat on its rival BJP over the matter.

Besides Rahul, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at the BJP on the sexual abuse allegations against Prajwal Revanna and said PM Modi sought votes for him and did not stop the JD(S) leader from leaving the country.

In a post in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, "as always, Narendra Modi has maintained shameful silence on the gruesome crimes committed against women in Karnataka."

"The Prime Minister will have to answer: Despite knowing everything, why did he campaign for the devil who exploited hundreds of daughters, just for votes? After all, how did such a big criminal escape from the country with such ease?" the former Congress chief said.

Addressing a public meeting in Hubbali in Karnataka, Amit Shah asserted his party cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women, referring to the Prajwal Revanna episode.

He also blamed the Congress government in Karnataka for not acting against the Hassan MP till the Lok Sabha polls in the Vokkaliga belt were over.

Just before the elections, a huge cache of explicit videos and photographs, allegedly involving Prajwal have gone viral in the social media, following which the state government constituted the SIT on the request of Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary.

A case has been registered against Revanna and Prajwal at Holenarasipura on a complaint by their former cook and relative for allegedly sexually harassing her. She alleged that Prajwal made video calls to her daughter and spoke in an objectionable manner, which forced her to block him.

"We (BJP) have an alliance with the JD(S). Now (Prajwal) Revanna's CD has come. They (Congress) thought they can corner the BJP. I am making it clear here BJP cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women," the Home Minister said.

He said Congress is in power in the state and it should have taken action.

The BJP's stand was clear that stringent punishment should be given to those who commit such crimes, shah added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah alleged Deve Gowda planned the 'escape' of his grandson, Prajwal Revanna, abroad.

"Who gives passport and visa for travelling abroad? It’s the Centre. Can he go without the Centre’s knowledge? It was former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who planned and sent him abroad," the Chief Minister told reporters at Yadgir in Karnataka.

He also ruled out his deputy D K Shivakumar’s involvement in leaking the videos as has been alleged by JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy.

Shivakumar said, "Kumaraswamy and BJP leaders talk a lot about women. If they really have any respect for women, they must express solidarity with the victims by paying them a visit."

BJP can't remain with those who commit atrocities against women: Amit Shah on Prajwal Revanna

Hubballi (Karnataka) | Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the BJP cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women, referring to the sexual abuse allegations against JDS Lok Sabha poll candidate Prajwal Revanna.

He also blamed the Congress government in Karnataka for not acting against the Hassan MP till the Lok Sabha elections in the Vokkaliga belt were over.

Prajwal is the grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and son of former minister H D Revanna. He is seeking a re-election from Hassan on the JD(S) ticket.

Just before the elections, a huge cache of explicit videos and photographs, allegedly involving him have gone viral in the social media, following which the Karnataka government constituted the SIT on the request of Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary.

A case has been registered against Revanna and Prajwal at Holenarasipura on a complaint by their former cook and relative for allegedly sexually harassing her. She alleged that Prajwal made video calls to her daughter and spoke in an objectionable manner, which forced her to block him.

“We (BJP) have an alliance with the JD(S). Now (Prajwal) Revanna’s CD has come. They (Congress) thought they can corner the BJP. I am making it clear here BJP cannot remain with those who commit atrocities against women,” the Home Minister said at a public meeting.

He said Congress is in power in the state and it should have taken action.

“You did not initiate any action till the elections in the Vokkaliga belt were over. You did politics and allowed him (Prajwal Revanna) to escape. If you have guts tell the truth. Because of you, a heinous criminal fled the country,” Shah said.

Vokkaliga is the dominant community in the southern part of Karnataka, to which the JD(S)' first family belongs. They wield influence in the 14 Lok Sabha seats which went to polls on April 26. Polling in the remaining 14 seats will take place on May 7.

The BJP’s stand was clear that stringent punishment should be given to those who commit such crimes, shah added.

He also accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of politicising the drought relief issue.

Responding to Congress' charge that the Centre intentionally delayed disbursal of funds to mitigate the drought in Karnataka till the state government approached the Supreme Court, Amit Shah said there was a delay from Karnataka in making the request.

“I want to tell you why there was delay in releasing drought relief funds. The Chief Minister and his Deputy D K Shivakumar fight with each other. The Deputy CM tries to pull down the CM... They caused the delay in submitting the request,” the Union Minister claimed.

He pointed out that the Karnataka government has written three memoranda.

By the time the third memorandum came, the model code of conduct came into effect, which led to the delay in releasing the central aid, Shah said claiming that the Congress government was levelling false accusations against the BJP.

The Karnataka government had sought Rs 18,171 crore from the Centre from the National Disaster Response Fund to overcome drought prevailing in 226 out of 236 Taluks of the state but it got Rs 3,454 crore after it moved the apex court in the middle of the election.

Referring to the Rameswaram Cafe blast, Shah alleged that soon after the Congress came to power, a blast took place in Bengaluru city, which the Siddaramaiah government initially called as cylinder explosion.

Referring to the Neha Hiremath murder case, Shah said if the Congress was unable to protect the people of the state, it should step down and allow the BJP to run it in a better way.

He also took strong exception to the alleged Pakistan Zindabad slogans raised in the Vidhana Soudha corridors on February 27.

Noting that the 2024 Lok Sabha election was a historic one between two camps, Shah said, “On the one hand there is a brother and a sister who go abroad on vacation and there is a person (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) who did not take any leave in the last 23 years and celebrates Deepavali with soldiers.”

Lashing out at the Congress, the Union Minister said while the Centre banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), the grand old party took the support of its political arm, SDPI.

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had proclaimed support for Congress-led UDF in Kerala in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Shah declared that a third term for Modi would mean the end of terrorism and naxalism, and making India the third major economy in the world.

]]> Kunal Ghosh removed as TMC state general secretary https://english.metrovaartha.com/news/kunal-ghosh-removed-as-tmc-state-general-secretary https://english.metrovaartha.com/news/kunal-ghosh-removed-as-tmc-state-general-secretary#comments c62821a3-042a-42eb-a186-6a73df854880 Wed, 01 May 2024 13:26:59 +0000 2024-05-01T16:29:11.328Z Metrovaartha /api/author/1725211 Kunal GhoshNewsStates

Kolkata | Hours after Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh shared a stage with a BJP Lok Sabha candidate and praised him, the TMC on Wednesday removed him from the post of state general secretary for making statements not aligning with the party.

Ghosh, who has been seeking more prominence for next-generation leaders, had expressed his desire to resign as party spokesperson and state general secretary in March.

The party then accepted his resignation as spokesperson but asked him to continue with the other post.

“Kunal Ghosh has been expressing views that don’t align with the party… Mr Ghosh was previously relieved from his role as party spokesperson. Now he has been removed from the position of general secretary of the state organization,” the TMC said in a statement.

In the statement signed by TMC Rajya Sabha party leader Derek O'Brien, the party also asked media outlets not to conflate Ghosh's views with those of the party, warning that doing so might invite legal action.

"It is important to clarify that these are his personal opinions.... Only statements issued from the AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) headquarters should be considered the official position of the party," it said.

Despite his removal from the post of party spokesperson, he has been holding press conferences regularly from the party headquarters during the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign.

A senior TMC leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described Ghosh's removal as a "calibrated punishment," indicating that his removal as state spokesperson in March was a warning, and this removal as state general secretary is the final action.

Ghosh did not take part in TMC's Kolkata North Lok Sabha constituency Sudip Bandopadhyay's rally, but attended a blood donation programme where BJP nominee Tapas Ray was present.

At the programme, Ghosh said, "Tapas Ray is a true leader. His doors are always open for party workers and people. I have known him for several decades. Unfortunately, our paths are now different... I am hopeful that the elections will be free and fair, and that no unscrupulous means will be used to retain the seat. Let the people cast their votes freely," he added.

Ray, a four-term TMC MLA, joined the BJP in March after the party re-nominated its incumbent MP Sudip Bandopadhyay in the Kolkata North seat. The BJP then fielded Ray against Bandopadhyay.

Reacting to Ghosh's expulsion from his post, Ray said, "Whom they will suspend or expel is their internal matter. I have nothing to say about it. But it proves TMC doesn't believe in courtesy in politics."

Ghosh, considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, had kicked off a storm this year that the old guards in the party need to know when to step aside for the next generation.

He had also accused a section of old guards, including Sudip Bandopadhyay, of being hand in gloves with the BJP.

Following this, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee herself issued a stern warning instructing party leaders to abstain from publicly discussing differences, emphasizing that any violation may lead to disciplinary action.

The controversy erupted in November last year when Banerjee advocated respecting senior members and dismissed the notion that old leaders should retire from active politics.

TMC national general secretary and Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek, endorsed a retirement age in politics and cited a decline in work efficiency and productivity with advancing age.

A journalist by profession in the vernacular media, Ghosh's rise and fall in the TMC has been a matter of debate.

A vocal critic of the Left Front regime, Ghosh was rewarded with a Rajya Sabha nomination by the TMC in 2012.

However, after the Saradha Chit fund scam bubble burst in 2013, Ghosh, then CEO of the Saradha media group, openly clashed with the TMC.

He was arrested in November 2013 in connection with the Saradha Chit fund scam and was subsequently suspended by the party.

Later, after the CBI took over the investigation, Ghosh continued to speak out against the leadership. In 2016, he was granted bail by the court.

In July 2020, he was appointed TMC's spokesperson, and in June 2021, he was appointed the party's state general secretary.

Party was aware of school recruitment scam before 2021 assembly polls: Kunal Ghosh

Kolkata | Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Wednesday claimed that the party was aware of the school recruitment scam even before the 2021 assembly polls, hours after he was removed from the post of the party's state general secretary.

The damaging statement from Ghosh, considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, came amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, as the SSC scam has escalated into a significant issue in the polls.

Ghosh was removed from the post hours after he shared a stage with a BJP Lok Sabha candidate and praised him.

"The party was well aware of the fact that largescale corruption and extortion in lieu of jobs was taking place in the school education department. The party was aware of it even before the 2021 assembly polls," he said in an interview with Bengali news channel ABP Ananda.

Ghosh, who has been seeking more prominence for next-generation leaders and was at loggerheads with the old guards in the TMC, said it was due to this "information about large-scale corruption that Partha Chatterjee was shifted to the industry department from the education ministry after the party returned to power for the third consecutive term in 2021."

Ghosh's remarks came a week after the Calcutta High Court declared the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as "null and void," ordering the cancellation of all appointments made through it.

Around 26,000 people have lost jobs following the court order. The TMC leadership had maintained that the party was not aware of the scam until the arrest of Chatterjee took place in 2022.

TMC leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in July 2022 for his alleged involvement in the SSC scam. Chatterjee was shown the door by the party following his arrest. He was also removed from the state cabinet.

Several TMC leaders and TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya and Jiban Krishna Saha were arrested by the CBI for their alleged involvement in the scam.