Each day harrowing accounts of sexual abuse and harassment of women at the hands of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and his father and Holenarsipura MLA HD Revanna are being reported even as thousands of videos are being widely circulated. However, the National Commission for Women has made a statement last week that a woman was forced to lodge a complaint against Prajwal Revanna, and that 700 women had not approached the NCW to file complaints.
Time and again, the veracity of complaints of sexual abuse and harassment are always put to test - whether it is Sandeshkhali or Prajwal Revanna. The feudal, misogynistic and patriarchal setup which created a reign of fear and intimidation has to be ended. This can be done only when HD Revanna is disqualified from the legislative assembly and Prajwal Revanna is brought to justice.
Instead, HD Revanna, who was arrested on charges of sexual abuse and kidnapping one of the survivors has been granted bail and released from jail on Tuesday.
While multiple women were abused over a period of time and the crimes recorded on video, there seems to be no initiative to ensure that the women survivors are protected. Instead, political mileage is being gained at the cost of dignity of the women.
