Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, May 11, slammed the state government over the arrest of its leader Devaraje Gowda in a sexual assault case. Devaraje Gowda was arrested on Friday, May 10, in Chitradurga district. The police said that he was arrested on charges of alleged sexual assault and blackmail. There was a separate complaint on Devaraje for hurling casteist abuse at the complainant’s husband.  

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R Ashoka said that the arrest of BJP leader Devaraje Gowda is not appropriate and if things continue like this, the party will protest against the government’s highhandedness. “He was threatened for not taking the name of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar. The government is only focused on the sexual abuse case. They do not care for the farmers and other issues of the state,” Ashoka said.

HD Revanna, the father of Prajwal Revanna, has been jailed on charges of kidnapping one of the victims of the sex scandal case.

Devaraje Gowda had held a series of press conferences and alleged that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is behind the circulation of thousands of pen drives containing the videos of Prajwal Revanna. Gowda had also alleged that he was offered a cabinet berth by Congress for not issuing statements against the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. He had also released an audio clip of the BJP leader L Shivarame Gowda “forcing” him not to take the name of Shivakumar during the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Devaraje Gowda had claimed that he would submit the evidence to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).