In Karnataka recently, the BJP was seen communalising an unfortunate incident of murder of a woman student at the hands of Fayaz, which the BJP termed as “love jihad”. However, days after the BJP used this murder for political mileage, their NDA candidate (BJP-JD(S) coalition) – Prajwal Revanna – has been accused of sexual assault against hundreds of women. About 2,976 videos have surfaced, which have been circulated through public distribution of pen drives. Prajwal has reportedly fled the country, a day after polling in Karnataka, i.e., April 26th.
Prajwal won the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 on a JD(S) ticket, but was accused of submitting fake documents during his nomination and was disqualified by the Karnataka High Court in September 2023, which was thereafter stayed by the Supreme Court, is the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and the nephew of former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
It has been reported that Prajwal got an ex-parte injunction against several media houses in June 2023, to stop them from reporting on these videos. It is not far from truth to state that all the politicians, whether it is Congress, BJP or JD(S), were aware of the crimes being perpetrated. Despite the same, the BJP formed an alliance with JD(S) in September 2023 and announced Prajwal’s candidature from Hassan in March 2024. It has come to light that in December 2023, BJP leader G. Devaraj Gowda wrote a letter to BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra, warning him about the videos involving Prajwal and to refrain from giving him the ticket in Hassan. However, the incident came to light a few days before the polling.
The Congress-led Karnataka Government has instituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate these crimes against women, after the Karnataka State Women’s Commission took cognizance of the same. An FIR has been lodged by a former domestic worker against both Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna under IPC Sections 354A, 354D, 506 and 509. The BJP and JD(S) have been put on a backfoot, with both the parties distancing themselves from the incident. It has been reported that the JD(S) has now suspended Prajwal Revanna from his party, pending the SIT inquiry.
The crimes against women in Karnataka has been rising exponentially, with stalking, murder, caste-killing, rapes, assault, etc. Last year in August, Gouri was brutally murdered at the hands of Padmaraj in Bantwal taluk, Aynaz was murdered by Praveen in November 2023 in Udupi, Ruksana was murdered and her body burnt by Pradeep in March 2024, whereas Anushka was killed in broad daylight by Suresh in a park in April 2024, in Bengaluru, and Neha was murdered by Fayaz in Hubli for spurning his advances.
While the BJP cashed in communal mileage with Neha’s unfortunate murder, and remained mum on other incidents where women have been victims of gender crimes. It is shocking that the BJP has chosen to remain silent on his crimes when they formed the alliance with JD(S) to fight the Lok Sabha elections, and choose not to seek justice for the women survivors even now.
