Centre yet to respond on request to cancel Prajwal's diplomatic passport: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said there is no response yet from the Centre regarding the request seeking cancellation of diplomatic passport of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexual abuse of women, on the basis of an arrest warrant issued against him by a court.
He said it is the duty of the Centre to provide help within the framework of law, by cancelling the diplomatic passport.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government to probe the serial sex abuse charges against the MP, had written to the Ministry of External Affairs to cancel his diplomatic passport.
"Still nothing has come (from the Centre), the Centre also should help us, that's what we are urging. There is no meaning in only criticising, within the framework of law, the Centre should also help us," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "the Chief Minister had written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking cancellation of the diplomatic passport (of Prajwal Revanna), but we have not got any response to it. Now that the court has issued an arrest warrant against him, the SIT has written a letter informing the same through official channels. Cancelling his passport after a warrant being issued against him is their (Central government's) duty."
"The Central government has to help us, it is not the question of Revanna or Prajwal Revanna, it is the question of law. They have to cooperate. It is also the duty of the Central government to protect the law, and they will have to understand it," he added.
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 Saturday against Prajwal, following an application moved by the SIT.
On JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's statement that the purported audio of an alleged conversation between Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and BJP leader Devaraje Gowda about the leak of explicit videos allegedly involving Prajwal, was an evidence of the Deputy CM's being behind circulation of the clips, Parameshwara said, "Kumaraswamy is speaking about everything, but within the framework of law and in accordance with the SIT's mandate, whatever has to be done (probed), the investigators will do it."
"The government decided (to form SIT) keeping everything in mind. Every day, he (Kumaraswamy) is indulging in criticism, in a way he seems to be directing (investigation to be done) in a certain way," he said.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
