Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that Hassan Janata Dal-Secular MP Prajwal Revanna had raped 400 women and made their videos, and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of helping him to flee the country.
He demanded registering a case against Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that he was aware of the case following a letter by a BJP leader to him about the activities of Prajwal and his father and former minister H D Revanna.
Addressing election rallies in the district headquarters towns of Shivamogga and Raichur, Gandhi alleged that the prime minister was in the know about the sex scandal and he could have got Prajwal arrested within seconds but allowed him to flee the country.
Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister and JD-S patriarch HD Deve Gowda, is facing allegations of sexually abusing women.
The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the case.
Scores of explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old MP had started making the rounds in Hassan in recent days.
He was the NDA candidate in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency where polling was held on April 26.
The JD-S joined the National Democratic Alliance in September last year.
Gandhi said a Bharatiya Janata Party leader wrote a letter to Shah stating that Prajwal was raping women but no action was taken.
"This is not a sex scandal, it's mass rape," he alleged.
"If Amit Shah knew this, then the prime minister also knew it. Why is Modi protecting him (Prajwal), why is he promoting him and why is he seeking vote for him?" the Congress leader asked.
He said Shah allowed Prajwal to flee the country despite knowing about him.
"All the agencies were with them, such as CBI, Customs, Immigration and ED. The PM knew about it, he could have arrested him (Prajwal) in a second, which he did not do and allowed him to flee," Gandhi charged.
"The women of Karnataka know that you protected Prajwal Revanna because you wanted power and alliance. The PM and HM, the two people who control the nation, protected him," the former Congress president alleged.
"This is the difference between our and their (BJP) ideology. They (BJP) can do anything for power. There is no limit. There is no truth to them. There is no meaning to the pains and sufferings of women," he said.
Gandhi said Modi has to answer to every woman of the country, why he protected Prajwal and why he was allowed to flee the country.
He said the prime minister is now afraid of visiting Karnataka and claimed that "he has cancelled all the meetings and escaped".
"Dear PM, don't run away from Karnataka. Come here and tell the country about Prajwal Revanna," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader said the home minister knew about it, and did not act, which is a criminal offence.
A case should be filed against him (Amit Shah) because among the victims, there were minor girls below the age of 16 years.
"The PM should also apologise to the mothers and sisters of India. Prajwal Revanna rapes 400 women and makes videos. This is not a sex scandal but mass rape," the former Congress president alleged.
"The prime minister supported the mass rapist on the stage in front of Karnataka. He (Modi) told Karnataka that if you voted for this rapist, it will help me," Gandhi alleged and added: "Every woman in Karnataka should know when the prime minister was asking for your vote, he was aware of what Prajwal did."
He further alleged that every BJP leader was aware that Prajwal is a "mass rapist" and yet they supported him and the party formed an alliance with the JD-S.
"The PM has insulted every woman of India. The PM, Home Minister Amit Shah and all the BJP leaders should apologise to every woman of the country," he said, claiming that no leader in the world would have asked for votes for a "mass rapist".
"It is news worldwide that the PM solicited votes for a mass rapist. This is the BJP's ideology. They are ready to form alliances and do anything for power," Gandhi said.
