Not sure how long Parameshwara will be KPCC prez: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday slammed Rahul Gandhi’s "wealth redistribution promise", stating that only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like that.

 “He is dreaming of a revolution. By talking about wealth redistribution, Rahul Gandhi has insulted and humiliated two Congress Prime Ministers who brought market reforms and increased the wealth of the nation,” he added, recalling the contribution of P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh in economic liberalisation.

Accusing Gandhi of indirectly trying to say that what the two Congress Prime Ministers did was wrong, Gowda said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has torn up their economic reforms like he had torn up an ordinance (which sought to overturn the rule that disqualifies convicted MPs and MLAs) issued by (the then) Manmohan Singh (government)."

The 90-year-old JD(S) supremo ridiculed the Congress manifesto claiming that only a party that is sure of never coming to power can make as many promises.

“The Congress has promised so many things in its manifesto. The only party that is very sure of never coming to power will promise so much,” Gowda said at a press conference here.

He said the Congress wants to turn this country 'upside down' and the promises made by it indicated that it wants to come to power 'at any cost'.

“Rahul Gandhi wants to do a wealth survey and distribute the wealth. Does he think he is a mass leader,” Deve Gowda said.

Picking up points from the Congress manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, Gowda said Rahul Gandhi wants to 'give 30 lakh new central government jobs and run this country'.

“There are only 40 lakh sanctioned jobs. How can he create 30 lakh more jobs overnight? How much will he pay these people? Where will he employ them,” he asked.

“Only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like this. (P) Chidambaram was the manifesto committee chairman. Does he agree with Rahul Gandhi’s immature economic ideas,” Gowda said.

Mysuru, Apr 29: Veteran politician and incumbent Chamarajanagar MP V Srinivas Prasad breathed his last at 76.The stalwart BJP leader, who had been battling health issues, succumbed to a severe heart attack, leaving behind a void in Karnataka's political arena.

A Dalit leader in the Old Mysuru region, Prasad was in Congress but joined the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections following a fallout with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The two had recently met in Mysuru and discussed the political scenario in the state.

Prasad extended support to the Congress in the Lok Sabha election 2024 and this is being seen as a crucial factor in the SC-reserved Chamarajanagar constituency, which Prasad represented in Parliament. On April 2, Prasad’s relatives and supporters joined Congress.

He served as a Union minister from 1999 to 2004 as the Loka Jana Shakthi MP. In the Karnataka Assembly elections, he was elected twice as an MLA and served as the state’s revenue minister.

Prasad, known for his distinguished political career spanning over five decades, was admitted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru due to urinary tract-related complications and age-related ailments.

However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to his untimely demise in the wee hours of Monday.

Born on August 6, 1947, in Ashokapuram, Mysuru, Prasad's political journey was marked by significant milestones. He represented Chamarajanagar constituency as MP for an unprecedented seven terms and had derved as MLA from Nanjangud constituency twice.

He had held key ministerial portfolios including Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and Minister for Revenue and Muzrai in the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government.

He had joined the BJP officially in December 2016 and was elected as MP from Chamarajanagar again in 2019, showcasing his enduring popularity among constituents.

Prasad's demise has plunged the political fraternity and his supporters into mourning. His family members, political associates, and well-wishers are gathering to pay their final respects as his mortal remains are being transported from Manipal Hospital to his residence in Jayalakshmipuram, Mysuru.

The Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru will witness a stream of mourners as Prasad's mortal remains will be kept for public viewing, allowing people from all walks of life to bid farewell to their beloved leader.

Prasad's name had come up in the 'Tehelka tapes' controversy, after the sting operation by magazine Tehelka to expose defence deals under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. The tapes showed Samata Party leader Jaya Jaitley allegedly telling an arms dealer to deposit money with Prasad, who was then in Bengaluru. However, Prasad denied these claims, saying he was in Mysuru at the time, and also sued Tehelka for defamation.

The JD(S) on Tuesday, April 30, announced that former Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's grandson Prajwal Revanna has been suspended from the party temporarily until allegations against him over sexual abuse are probed.

Revanna and his father HD Revanna, also a JD(S) MLA, were booked on Sunday by the police for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman, who worked in their household.

"We welcome SIT against Prajwal Revanna. We've taken a decision to recommend our party's national president to suspend him from the party till the SIT investigation is completed, " JD(S) core committee president GT Devegowda said.

Revanna currently is not in India. Opposition members raised concerns over how he was allowed to leave the country.

"A decision was already made. Tomorrow it is to be recommended at the core committee meeting in Hubballi. Because he (Prajwal) is a Member of Parliament, it has to be done from Delhi. So I had requested Deve Gowda (JD(S) National President and former PM). Neither he (Gowda) nor I were aware of this issue," party chief H D Kumaraswamy has said yesterday. "Some issues have come out, based on that it has been decided yesterday itself to suspend (him). But many were in a hurry."

Prajwal, 33, represents the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the Lok Sabha election in Hassan, which happened on Friday.

Kumaraswamy alleged that Congress was manipulating facts to destroy the image of his family amid the controversy over the 'obscene' video case against his nephew Prajwal.

"We are not going to protect him, we will take severe action but the government's responsibility is more," Kumaraswamy said.

"This is the manipulation of Congress to destroy the image of our family. What is the role of Dewegowda Ji or me? We are not responsible for all those things. This is the individual issue of Prajwal Revanna. I am not in contact with him (Prajwal). It is the responsibility of the government to bring him before the law. Morally we have decided to make some decisions," Kumaraswamy told reporters on Tuesday.

Prajwal Revanna sex scandal

The state government under CM Siddaramaiah has formed a Special Investigation Team to look into the matter. In recent days, certain explicit video clips purportedly featuring Prajwal have circulated in Hassan.

In response, Revanna stated his willingness to cooperate with any investigation regarding the allegations of sexual abuse against his son and himself. He affirmed their readiness to accept any legal consequences if the accusations are substantiated.

Prajwal's father HD Revanna said that his son would appear for an SIT probe whenever he is asked to.

A case of sexual harassment and stalking was registered on Sunday against HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna at Holenarasipur police station based on a complaint by their cook.

The complainant said she is a relative of Revanna's wife Bhavani.

She claimed that four months into her employment, Revanna began sexually harassing her, while his son Prajwal engaged in video calls with her daughter, engaging in "vulgar conversations."

She also alleged that there is a threat to her life as well as other members of her family.