Bengaluru, May 21 -- G Parameshwara, the Home Minister of Karnataka, on Tuesday announced that the state government has requested the Ministry of External Affairs to revoke the diplomatic passport of Prajwal Revanna, the MP from Hassan. Revanna, who is 33 years old and the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is facing multiple charges of sexual abuse.

Revanna, who is also the NDA's candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha segment, reportedly fled to Germany on April 27 the day after the polls in Hassan, and remains at large. Parameshwara stated that the Chief Minister has already written to the Prime Minister regarding this matter. However, the Home Department has now officially written a letter, following the issuance of an arrest warrant against Revanna, requesting the cancellation of his diplomatic passport.

Parameshwara further added that if the passport is cancelled, Revanna will be unable to remain in the foreign country and will be compelled to return to India. The Ministry of External Affairs, which handles passport-related matters, has been informed and is expected to respond.

The arrest warrant against Revanna was issued by a Special Court for Elected Representatives on Saturday, following a request from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) established by the state government to investigate the serial sex abuse allegations against the MP.

Previously, on May 1, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to instruct the Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs to act swiftly in cancelling Revanna's diplomatic passport.

Interpol has already issued a 'Blue Corner Notice' seeking information on Revanna's whereabouts, following a request from the SIT via the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). When asked about JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's request for his nephew, Revanna, to return to India and face the investigation, Parameshwara responded that it is an internal family matter and that Revanna should return and face the law.

In response to Kumaraswamy's allegations that the government is tapping 40 phones, including his own and those of his family members and supporters, the Home Minister denied the claims and challenged Kumaraswamy to provide accurate information for an investigation.

Regarding the alleged audio conversation between Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and BJP leader Devaraje Gowda about the leak of explicit videos allegedly involving Revanna, Parameshwara stated that the decision to probe this matter lies with the SIT, which has been given complete freedom to conduct its investigation.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.