DK Shivakumar questions BJP-JD(S) leaders' silence on life sentence for Prajwal Revanna
Bengaluru, Aug 2 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday questioned the silence of leaders from JD(S) and its alliance partner BJP in connection with former party MP Prajwal Revanna being sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life, in a rape case.
A special court here on Friday convicted the 34-year-old grandson of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda in one of the four sexual abuse and rape cases against him.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi Shivakumar said, JD(S) leaders and their alliance partner BJP are competent to comment on the Prajwal Revanna issue, and questioned as to why they are not speaking.
"Let them comment. Let JD(S) state president (H D Kumaraswamy), national president (H D Deve Gowda), youth president (Nikhil Kumaraswamy), BJP president (B Y Vijayendra), opposition leader (R Ashoka) and central ministers, all of them should comment on this. Why are they not commenting? It is their bound duty to comment on this," he said.
"If we (Congress) speak on the issue, it will be seen as politics. We respect the law and abide by it. We want people to get justice," Shivakumar, who is also the Congress party's state chief, added.
The case in which Prajwal was sentenced pertains to a 48-year-old woman who was working as a domestic help at the family's Gannikada farmhouse in Hassan district's Holenarasipura. She was allegedly raped twice -- at Hassan farm house and Bengaluru residence-- in 2021, and the act was recorded by the accused on his mobile phone.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Dharwad, BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the court would have given the verdict considering all aspects, and it should be respected.
"Everyone should accept the court order. We had said when the allegations came to light that, if the wrong was committed, punishment would happen in accordance with the law after investigation and trial. Now that the court has given its verdict, everyone should accept it. The future choices (regarding going on an appeal) are left for the concerned parties to decide," he said.
"Our society sees women with respect. The court, after considering all aspects, has given its verdict," he added.
Four separate cases have been registered against Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual harassment, and the SIT was tasked with probing the cases.
The cases came to light after pen-drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving Revanna were reportedly circulated in Hassan, ahead of Lok Sabha polls there on April 26, 2024.
Revanna was arrested by the SIT in connection with a case registered at the Holenarasipura Town Police Station, on May 31 last year, upon his arrival at Bengaluru Airport from Germany. He was escorted to the SIT office by women officers upon his arrest at the airport.
Revanna had failed in his bid to retain the Hassan parliamentary constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. JD(S) suspended him from the party following the cases filed against him.
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Rupee rises 42 paise to close at 91.51 against US dollar
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee gained 42 paise to close at 91.51 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, a day after the Union Budget 2026-27 was presented, largely as crude oil prices retreated from their elevated levels.
Forex traders said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seemed to be defending the 92 per dollar level with a lot of resolve.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 91.95 against the US dollar, then gained some ground to touch an intraday high of 91.45 and a low of 91.95 against the greenback.
At the end of the trading session on Monday, the rupee was quoted at 91.51 (provisional) against the greenback, registering a gain of 42 paise from its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee hit a record low of 92.02 before ending 6 paise higher at 91.93 against the US dollar.
For the rupee, the Budget offered reassurance, not relief, and the government's high borrowing plan is likely to weigh on investor sentiments going ahead.
The government is likely to borrow Rs 17.2 lakh crore in the next financial year to fund its fiscal deficit projected at 4.3 per cent of the GDP.
"Overall, it looks like a prudent budget, focusing on continuity. Given the geopolitical uncertainties and challenges, it seems the government it seems has chosen to go a bit slow on fiscal consolidation," IFA Global said in a research note.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.09 per cent higher at 97.07.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 4.46 per cent lower at USD 66.23 per barrel in futures trade, as the US and Iran were talking about avoiding US strikes on Iranian soil.
The oil prices had touched USD 72 per barrel after traders expected a US strike on Iran during the weekend.
"As the Budget volatility subsides, the Indian rupee and domestic equities have emerged as regional outperformers. A combination of cooling commodity prices, enhanced fiscal control, large forex reserves and suspected corporate dollar selling has provided a tailwind for the local currency," Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, said.
In the near term, the USD-INR spot is likely to consolidate within a tight range, finding support at 91.10 and facing resistance near 91.85, Parmar added.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 943.52 points to settle at 81,666.46, while the Nifty surged 262.95 points to 25,088.40.
On Sunday, equity markets reacted negatively to the FY27 Budget as it proposed a higher securities transaction tax on derivatives and changes to buyback taxation, raising concerns over increased costs for investors.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 588.34 crore on Sunday, according to exchange data.
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