‘Big whale’ behind leaking explicit videos, says Kumaraswamy; Shivakumar refutes

Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday alleged that there was a "big whale" behind the leaking of explicit videos of women being sexually abused allegedly by his nephew and party MP from Hassan Prajwal Revanna.

Kumaraswamy’s swipe was apparently against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who refused to comment on it.

Talking to reporters about the Prajwal Revanna case, the JD(S) second-in-command said an MLA from Mandya said ‘large whales’ were behind releasing the video.

When asked to explain who the ‘big whale’ is, Kumaraswamy said, “Who else it is? Today an MLA from Mandya spoke about ‘big whale’. Whatever the ‘big whale’ is saying, the same is followed by the ‘small whales’.” He said that listening to the arguments of the lawyers it appears prima facie that the arrest of MLA H D Revanna, Kumaraswamy's brother, was "politics of hate".

The government initiated action against Revanna to spoil the reputation of former prime minister Deve Gowda, the former chief minister alleged.

He asked how anyone would catch the ‘big whale’ when he is in government.

Reacting to Kumaraswamy's remarks, Shivakumar said, “Let him (Kumaraswamy) arrest and swallow the ‘big whale’. I am neither director nor producer. I am only an exhibitor, theatre exhibitor.”

On Kumaraswamy’s charges that Revanna was arrested to defame Deve Gowda, the deputy chief minister 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.” Shivakumar, who is also Congress Karnataka unit president, said he believed in the law of nature and he too had suffered a lot.

“I too faced political conspiracy. I know how strong and full of self-confidence I am. That’s the reason that god protected me,” he said.

Revanna, who is the elder son of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, was arrested along with his confidant Sathish Babanna for allegedly abducting a woman on April 29.

The case was registered on a complaint filed by the woman's son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Revanna's son and JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

The woman was allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal, police sources said.

The explicit videos of alleged sexual abuse by Prajwal had been making the rounds on social media, and the Government formed the SIT on April 28 to probe the case after the Karnataka State Commission for Women wrote a letter to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking an investigation into it.

The 33-year-old Prajwal, who was the NDA candidate in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, reportedly left the country on April 27, a day after the elections, and has skipped the SIT summons to appear before it.

Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice against the "absconding" MP, who is facing sexual abuse charges.

A Blue Corner Notice is issued to collect information from member countries about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

H D Revanna was released on bail on Tuesday.