G Devaraje Gowda, a prominent leader of the BJP, has stirred controversy by implicating Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in the release of compromising videos featuring Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
In a press conference held late Monday, Devaraje Gowda made bold claims, stating, “The primary target of the Congress is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress government has apprehended JDS MLA HD Revanna (Prajwal Revanna’s father). Now, the aim is to undermine the BJP’s position in the state. HD Kumaraswamy is also in their crosshairs. Additionally, they attempted to implicate me in this matter.”
Expressing skepticism towards the ongoing investigation led by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Devaraje Gowda declared his intention to escalate the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging discrepancies between the videos he possesses and those that have been released.
Moreover, Devaraje Gowda claimed that Shivakumar had offered him a Cabinet position, linking him to the scandal. “Shivakumar is the central figure in this pen drive incident. He proposed a Cabinet berth to me. I possess details regarding the creation of the pen drive and the involvement of Congress candidate Shreyas Patel from Hassan,” asserted Devaraje Gowda.
Accusing the SIT of coercion, Devaraje Gowda asserted, “SIT SP, Suman D Pannekar, compelled me to retract my statement against the Deputy Chief Minister. This is why I lack confidence in the SIT.”
Furthermore, he alleged interference from former minister LR Shivarame Gowda, claiming pressure not to implicate Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.
Responding to these allegations on Tuesday, Shivakumar dismissed them as ‘baseless’, attributing them to political motives.
“Devaraje Gowda ran for elections on a BJP ticket. He is a prominent member of the BJP. Both the JD-S and the BJP are grappling with the Prajwal Revanna case, and as a result, they are attempting to deflect blame onto me through Devaraje Gowda,” remarked Shivakumar.
Shivakumar also refuted claims of a meeting with Gowda, citing time constraints. “Devaraje Gowda sought to meet me to discuss the pen drive issue and other internal matters of the BJP, but I was unable to accommodate the meeting due to time constraints,” he clarified.
As the political blame game intensifies amidst the scandal, the truth behind the release of the compromising videos remains shrouded in controversy.
