Centre ready to cooperate in bringing back Prajwal Revanna, says Pralhad Joshi
Kalaburagi (PTI): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said there is a process to cancel the diplomatic passport of suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexually harassing several women, and stated that the Centre is ready to cooperate in bringing him back to country.
Hitting out at the state government, he questioned why they did not file a case and detain Prajwal, before he left for abroad. The union minister also accused the Congress dispensation of trying to put the blame on the Centre and playing politics on the issue.
Joshi was reacting to a question on Chief Minister Siddarmaiah writing a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to take "prompt and necessary" actions to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal.
"There is a process to cancel diplomatic passports...so far Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar (Deputy CM) and Parameshwara (Home Minister) have not responded to my question.
"The first pen drive containing clipping (explicit clippings involving Prajwal) came out on April 21 and Prajwal Revanna left for abroad on April 27. Were they guarding donkeys for seven days? Why didn't you file an FIR and detain him?," Joshi asked.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "There is a process to get him (Prajwal) back from abroad and the Government of India is ready to extend cooperation to the state government by following necessary processes in accordance with law."
Joshi further said, "But this thing that as soon as we (CM or state govt) write things should happen, or else put the blame on BJP (is not right). They (state govt) did not take action in the pen drive case until the first phase of polls were over (on April 26) with an eye on Vokkkaliga votes. Now they are trying to put the blame on the Centre."
This is a serious case and Prajwal has to face the probe and will have to face punishment if found guilty. There is no question about it, he said, adding, "But the Karnataka government, more than probe, is trying to do politics in this case."
Siddaramaiah in his letter to PM Modi (dated May 22) said it is "disheartening" that his previous letter regarding cancelling Prajwal's diplomatic passport, has not been acted-upon, despite the gravity of the situation.
The chief minister had earlier on May 1 written to Modi urging him to move the Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs to take swift action to cancel the diplomatic passport of Prajwal.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is processing a request of the Karnataka government seeking cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Prajwal.
Official sources said that the MEA has received a letter from the Karnataka government seeking revocation of Prajwal's diplomatic passport.
The 33-year-old Prajwal, who is the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda and is the NDA's candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women.
Prajwal reportedly left for Germany on April 27, a day after Hassan went to polls, and is still at large. A 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking information on his whereabouts has already been issued by the Interpol, following a request by the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant on May 18 against Prajwal, following an application moved by the SIT.
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Paper leak mafia thriving under BJP's double-engine governments: Bhagwant Mann
Shimla (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday slammed the Centre over the alleged NEET paper leak and said that such incidents are surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments.
He said the leak and cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance test (NEET) 2026 examination is a major failure on the part of the Union government.
"This is not the first time that a paper leak has happened. Such incidents have surfaced in 2017, 2021, 2024, and now even in 2026 and every time, a CBI inquiry is initiated, arrests are made, yet after a short while, the accused are released on bail," he said.
Mann, who arrived at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium to boost the morale of the Punjab Kings team ahead of their upcoming IPL match, told the media that lakhs of students toil day and night, harbouring dreams of transforming their families' fortunes, but when exams are cancelled due to paper leaks, these students are left heartbroken.
The NEET 2026 paper held on May 3 was cancelled on May 12 after reports of a paper leak in Rajasthan.
He said that the paper leak mafia is predominantly surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments. "Paper leaked, dreams shattered, the country's administrative system is unable to conduct even a single examination properly", he added.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mann said that while Modi imposes various restrictions on the public, he himself continues to embark on foreign tours.
He asserted that the public deserves to know the country's true economic situation.
"The prime minister must disclose the current status of the country's oil reserves, the extent of our gold reserves, and fundamentally why restrictions are being imposed on every single commodity", he said.
No other nation has imposed such restrictions and the ongoing war is being used as a pretext, even though the country's economy is already in a precarious state, Mann added.
Regarding the ongoing campaign against drugs in Punjab, Mann said that the state government is continuously taking action against drug traffickers and asserted that a large number of traffickers are being sent to jail and that Punjab will soon move towards becoming drug-free.
Speaking about the upcoming IPL match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians to be held in Dharamshala, Mann said that he also holds the portfolio of Punjab's sports minister and has arrived in Dharamshala to cheer the team.
