PM Modi should apologise for seeking votes for ‘mass rapist’ Prajwal Revanna: Rahul Gandhi

“The person (who wrote the letter) has said that Prajwal Revanna is attacking women and has committed rape. He (Prajwal Revanna) has raped 400 women and videographed it (the acts). This (BJP) man has written to the Home Minister about the attacks but the Home Minister did not do anything,” Rahul Gandhi claimed.

“Even after this the PM of India comes onto the stage and asks for votes for Prajwal Revanna. I want to tell those women who have been victims of (sexual) attacks that the same thing has been done by Prajwal Revanna. Over 400 men pleaded with Revanna but he raped and did not let them go. If Amit Shah knew about it, then even the PM knew about it,” Gandhi said.

“I want to ask the women why the PM is protecting this person and asking for votes? The PM has insulted all women in the country. When Amit Shah knew about all this, they let him (Prajwal Revanna) leave the country. How was this allowed?” he asked.

“The PM should know that all the women know that he protected Prajwal Revanna because he wanted the alliance and was greedy for power. The PM and Shah protected Prajwal Revanna and must answer why they let him go,” the Congress leader said.

“If the Home Minister knew about it and did nothing, it is a criminal act. There are even minors involved who are less than 17 years,” he alleged.

Earlier speaking at a poll rally in Shivamogga, the Congress leader said the PM should apologise to all the women in the country for seeking votes for Prajwal Revanna. He also labelled the JD(S) leader as a mass rapist.

“This is not a sex scandal but a mass rape. On stage, the PM has supported a mass rapist. All BJP leaders knew that Prajwal Revanna is a mass rapist and they still allied with him and fielded him in the polls,” he said.

“The PM and Shah should apologize with bowed heads. No leader has done this in the past. The word has spread all over the world that the Indian PM has sought votes for a mass rapist. This is the mindset of the BJP. They want to win polls so they are willing to do anything for an alliance,” the Congress leader said.

Gandhi said that the Congress guarantee of Rs one lakh for women – announced ahead of the Lok Sabha polls – is intended to reward women for their labour at home and outside.

“In the 21st century, men and women both go for work outside. When the women get back home, they have to work another eight hours. If men work for eight to 10 hours, they (women) work 16 hours and look after the future of the country in the form of their children. It is for the extra eight hours they work per day that they have to be compensated,” Rahul Gandhi said.

The Prajwal Revanna case

Pen drives with over 2,900 sex videos linked to JDS MP Prajwal Revanna emerged in the public around April 26, when the Lok Sabha polls were ongoing in south Karnataka.

The Congress government in Karnataka constituted an SIT to probe the sex videos of Prajwal Revanna after the state women’s commission informed the police on April 27.

Some of the videos suggest that the women in the videos were under duress from the MP, the state women’s commission told the police. One of the cases of sexual harassment has been filed against Prajwal Revanna and his father H D Revanna by a 47-year-old woman identified in the videos.

Prajwal Revanna left for Europe on April 27 and the SIT has issued notices to him to appear before the agency for investigations.