Will Prajwal Revanna return to Bengaluru tonight?
Speculation arises after Munich-Bengaluru ticket surfaces
Bengaluru: Amidst mounting anticipation, Janata Dal Secular MP Prajwal Revanna, entangled in the Karnataka sex tapes controversy, might be making his way back to Bengaluru. NDTV has obtained a Munich-Bengaluru ticket for a Lufthansa Airlines flight, scheduled to land at 12:30 am tomorrow, bearing Revanna's name as a business class passenger.
The ticket, reportedly booked concurrently with Revanna's departure to Germany, predates the filing of an FIR against the 33-year-old MP. Reacting to the allegations, Revanna had communicated through social media on May 1 and had said, "As I am not in Bangalore to attend the enquiry, I have communicated to C.I.D Bangalore through my Advocate. Truth will prevail soon."
Nevertheless, several instances of tickets purportedly booked in Revanna's name have surfaced in recent weeks, all turning out to be false alarms. In response, the Karnataka police's Special Investigation Team (SIT), overseeing the high-profile case, has advised airport authorities to remain vigilant. A lookout notice and a Blue Corner notice have been issued to locate Revanna.
The scandal erupted when numerous explicit videos, allegedly featuring Prajwal Revanna, emerged last month, just ahead of the elections. Consequently, an SIT was formed to probe the case, resulting in Revanna's suspension from the JDS party. He faces a slew of charges, including rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, and criminal intimidation.
His father, JDS legislator HD Revanna, was arrested in connection with one of these cases but is currently out on bail. HD Revanna faces a kidnapping charge, triggered by allegations of his involvement in the abduction of a woman who had been employed as a house help at their residence. Allegations of a leaked video purportedly showing Prajwal Revanna engaging in sexual abuse have further complicated matters.
The sex tapes scandal has escalated into a big political issue, with the JDS claiming conspiracy and the Congress seizing the opportunity to target the BJP, which has formed an alliance with the JDS for the Lok Sabha elections. JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy insinuated that powerful forces were behind the leak, hinting at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
In response, Shivakumar asserted his non-involvement, stating, "I am neither director nor producer. I am only an exhibitor, theater exhibitor." On Kumaraswamy's allegations that HD Revanna was arrested to defame Deve Gowda, Shivakumar had said, "Not at all. See, I too feel sorry for him (Revanna). I, too, feel that such things should not happen. It's such a big family. Let them think whatever they want but I don't wish anything bad for anyone and I don't need it."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has weighed in, advocating zero tolerance for individuals like Prajwal Revanna and blaming the Congress-led Karnataka government for permitting the JDS MP to leave the country.
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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.
