If my son is wrong, let him be hanged: H D Revanna

Bengaluru: Senior JD(S) lawmaker HD Revanna on Tuesday told the Karnataka Assembly that his son Prajwal Revanna, the former Hassan MP accused of mass sexual abuse, should be hanged if found guilty.

But an emotional Revanna also launched a diatribe against Director-General of Police Alok Mohan, dubbing him as “unfit” to be the top cop. 

“If my son has committed wrongs, then let him be hanged. I won’t say no,” Revanna said in his first Assembly appearance after his family was embroiled in the Hassan sexual abuse case. 

“I’ve been a lawmaker for 25 years. I’ve spent 40 years in public life. Against me, some woman is brought to the Director-General’s office. The DG gets the complaint filed. Isn’t he nalayak to be the DG? He’s unfit. This is a shameless government,” Revanna said. 

This riled up members of the ruling Congress, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who asked Deputy Speaker Ramappa Lamani in the chair to expunge the comments. 

Revanna was arrested on May 4 in a kidnap and illegal confinement case linked to the Hassan sexual abuse saga. 

Revanna rose to speak after Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka drew a comparison between the manner in which Special Investigation Teams (SIT) are probing the Hassan sexual abuse case and the embezzlement at the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation. 

“Revanna, Bhavani and our former Hassan MLA Preetham...they’re facing an SIT. But that SIT is so strong...all of them went to court seeking justice fearing arrest,” Ashoka said. “But with the other SIT, there’s no fear,” he said, adding that former minister B Nagendra was not summoned for investigation for over 30 days. 

Senior BJP lawmaker S Suresh Kumar interjected. “There’s SIT and there’s SSIT. The SIT is Special Investigation Team. The SSIT is the Siddaramaiah Shivakumar Investigation Team,” he said. Taking exception, Shivakumar said the comment should be expunged.

‘CM should resign’

Ashoka asked Siddaramaiah to resign owing moral responsibility for the embezzlement of Rs 187 crore at the Corporation. “It was under your watch that money belonging to Dalits was siphoned off,” he said. 

“As finance minister, you should have checked what was done with the money that you gave to the Corporation for the benefit of STs,” Ashoka said. “The departments of social welfare and finance say they’ve got nothing to do with the scam,” he said. “But the Dalit standing afar asks, whose money was it?”