Kumaraswamy sees DK Shivakumar's role in leaking of Revanna sex videos

Accusing KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of playing ‘a big role’ in leaking the alleged sex videos of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said the Congress leaders distributed pen drives and damaged the dignity of victims. 

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy said there is a need for another investigation on how the videos of several women were leaked and who distributed the pen drive containing the videos a couple of days before the Lok Sabha polls in Hassan.

A few months ago, advocate Devaraje Gowda, who has been fighting against MLA H D Revanna, shared the sex scandal pen drive, which he got from Prajwal’s former driver Kartik, with Shivakumar. Now, five days ahead of the Lok Sabha polling in Hassan, Shivakumar distributed thousands of pen drives among the people, Kumaraswamy alleged.

Before releasing the videos, the ‘Mahanayaka’ (referring to Shivakumar) could have at least blurred the faces of women in the video. The families of women victims are embarrassed after the videos were shared on pen drive and social media.

The act of ‘Mahanayaka’ shows how he much respects women, he said.

Criticising Shivakumar for leaking the videos without blurring the faces of the women, Kumarawamy questioned what wrong the women did to Shivakumar for lowering their dignity. 

He also told women who are protesting against the JD(S) in front of his Bengaluru residence that they should protest in front of the houses of the deputy chief minister and other Congress leader for leaking the videos.

‘Dismiss Shivakumar’

Kumaraswamy demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to dismiss Shivakumar on moral grounds for leaking the videos of the women without blurring the faces of the victims.

If the chief minister has respect for women, he should dismiss Shivakumar and order an inquiry, he said.

Clash between party workers

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at Denissons Hotel in Hubballi on Tuesday for some time after a verbal clash between JD(S) and Congress workers turned physical. 

This occurred when the Congress workers staged a protest near the JD(S) core committee meeting venue.

The Congress workers, headed by Hubballi-Dharwad Rural District Congress Committee president Anil Kumar Patil, staged a protest. Soon after, the JD(S) workers raised slogans against the state government ‘for leaking the videos and lowering the dignity of women’.

The protesters hurled footwear and tore the shirt of a Congress worker.

Following the physical clash, police detained the Congress workers to pacify both parties.

Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar visited the spot.