From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 23: JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, grandfather of Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who has gone abroad after the registering of the criminal case against him and his father H D Revanna over incidents of multiple rapes and sexual abuses of women that have been widely circulated in pen drives copied from the video recordings in phone, has now issued a “stern warning” to his grandson to return and surrender before the police.
Prajwal Revanna’s uncle and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had already issued two public appeals to his nephew to return to India following H D Revanna’s arrest and subsequent release on bail.
“I cannot convince people that I was unaware of Prajwal’s activities. I cannot convince them that I have no desire to shield him. I cannot convince them that I am not aware of his movements, and that I was not aware of his foreign trip. I believe in answering my conscience. I believe in God and I know the almighty knows the truth,” said the 92-year-old former prime minister Deve Gowda.
The JD(S) supremo confessed that, “I spoke to the media about Prajwal Revanna on May 18 when I was headed to the temple to offer pooja. It took me some time to recover from the shock and pain he has inflicted on me, my entire family, my colleagues, friends and party workers.”
“I have already said that he (Prajwal) should be given the harshest punishment under the law if found guilty. My son and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, has advocated this line since the day the scandal broke,” he said.
Deve Gowda mentioned that the “People have used the harshest words against me and my family in the last few weeks. I am aware of it. I do not wish to stop them. I do not wish to criticise them. I will not try and argue with them that they should have waited until all the facts were found out.”
“I will not venture to comment on political conspiracies, exaggerations, provocations and falsehoods that have been maliciously spread in recent weeks. I am very sure people who have done it will have to answer God and pay for it heavily one day. I place my truth and my burdens at the feet of the Lord,” he said.
The JD(S) supremo said: “At this juncture, I can do only one thing. I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process.”
“This is not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing. If he does not heed to this warning, he will have to face my anger and anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately,” he said.
“I wish to also make it clear that I will ensure that there will be no interference in the enquiry against him from me or my family members. There is no emotion in this regard in my mind whatsoever. There is only the cause of justice for those who have suffered as a result of his alleged actions and misdeeds,” he said.
“It is of utmost importance to me to earn back the trust of the people. They have stood by me for over 60 years of my political life and I am deeply indebted to them. As long as I am alive, I will never let them down,” Deve Gowda added.