Trouble deepens for JDS: MLA demands Revanna and Prajwal's expulsion, says 19 MLAs are important or...

Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Samruddhi Manjunath on Monday has demanded the expulsion of Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna from the party in the wake of the 'obscene videos' case involving the NDA Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan in Karnataka.

JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna on Sunday was booked in a sexual harassment case after complaints by his former house help. The state government formed an SIT to probe the case against Revanna. Samruddhi Manjunath demanded that Prajwal and HD Revanna be expelled from the party within 24 hours to save the party's principles and save us from embarrassment.

Manjunath said the videos circulating in the media have caused embarrassment to party workers. He also urged party president and former PM HD Deve Gowda as well as state JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy to take a proper decision in the matter. He said that the father-son duo now have to take a decision on whether the 19 JD(S) MLAs are important or HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna are. 

"Hassan's obscene videos are circulating in the media, it has embarrassed party workers. President HD Devegowda and HD Kumaraswamy should take a proper decision. They should decide whether 19 MLAs are important or HD Revanna or Prajwal is important. Revanna and Prajwal should be expelled from the party within 24 hours to save the party's principles and save us from embarrassment," Manjunath was quoted by news agency ANI. 

Prajwal Revanna's expulsion will save JD(S) from further embarrassment: MLA writes to Deve Gowda

Samruddhi Manjunath, however, was not the only JD(S) MLA who demanded Prajwal Revanna's expulsion from the party. JD(S) MLA Sharana Gowda Kandakur wrote to party president HD Deve Gowda and said Prajwal Revanna's expulsion will save the party from further embarrassment. 

"Our party symbol is a woman who is carrying paddy on her head, you have built the party on social and secular ideology which people believe. BJP is a national party in alliance with us though we are a regional party which shows the importance of our party. In all this background, the circulating videos caused huge embarrassment to the party. Already, state government has formed an SIT, and an internal committee in the party must be formed. That's why to keep the party away from embarrassment and to make sure it will not affect the second phase of the election, I request you to expel Prajwal Revanna from the party," Kandakur said in his letter to Deve Gowda. 

Kumaraswamy distances himself 

As the controversy over the obscene videos case continues to rage, former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said at a press conference in Shimoga if anybody is involved in any wrongdoing, they will have to face the law. He also questioned the timings of the release of the videos. Furthermore, Kumaraswamy slammed the Congress for bringing family names into the matter. 

"I want to ask Congress leaders why bringing family names into it and talk about that particular person. It is not a family issue. Why bring Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda's names into it? There is no question of owning his mistake. SIT has been formed and let the truth come out," Kumaraswamy said.

"It's an issue of Revanna's family, we have nothing to do with it, they are four living separately, if somebody had brought this issue, it would have been solved then itself," he added. 

Congress wades into the issue

Women Congress Wing state president Pushpa Amarnath said Prajwal Revanna should be arrested immediately. She added that they have given a complaint in the case and will meet the state DGP tomorrow.