Expelled JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna broke down in court on Friday after a Special court in Bengaluru convicted him in a rape case filed by a 48-year-old former domestic worker.
The court is set to pronounce the sentence on Saturday.
Revanna, the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, was found guilty in one of the four rape cases registered against him.
Reacting to the verdict, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge targeted the BJP-JD(S) alliance over their continued silence on the matter. Calling the crime “disgusting,” Kharge said the BJP had failed to live up to its own “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” slogan and accused the party of shielding its allies. He said that the party needed leaders like himself and (deputy chief minister) DK Shivakumar to distract people from matters like the case against Revanna.
“Let’s talk about this again. Isn’t the BJP their coalition partner? Isn’t their relative a minister in the central government today? BJP leaders need Priyank and DK Shivakumar to cover up all this. Otherwise, their true colours will be revealed, won’t they? Tell me, have they spoken about this even once? Did they say even once that what JD(S) did was wrong? What Prajwal did was wrong…They are making excuses. Do they say what Munirathna did was wrong? All these are rape cases,”Kharge told reporters.
He reiterated that Revanna’s conviction should have prompted his retirement from public life. “Definitely disgusting. BJP says ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, what do you say to this now?” he said.
Despite the high-profile conviction, JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda, Prajwal’s grandfather, did not issue any reaction. The party’s spokesperson also chose to remain silent. Gowda had recently issued a statement against US President Donald Trump’s “dead economy” remark but has not responded to the case involving his own family.
Former deputy chief minister and BJP leader CN Ashwath Narayan said, “The verdict on Prajwal Revanna has come. I don’t have any information on that right now. The law will take its course. We’ll see what legal options he pursues. Everyone should follow the rules. He has been convicted, and we’ll see what can be done in the case. We will share more details after understanding it fully. No one should be sexually exploited.”
Former Mandya MP Sumalatha, reacting to the court’s decision, said, “When there is a court order, no matter who it is, the order should be followed. The court has clearly told that he is guilty.”
Revanna’s conviction, which comes ahead of the court’s sentencing on Saturday, has not only reignited debate over political accountability but also placed pressure on his party and allies in the NDA to respond publicly.