Priyanka Gandhi targets Modi, Shah over 'sex scandal' accused MP leaving country

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday sought to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the alleged sex scandal and wondered how the accused -- Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna -- was able to leave the country committing atrocities against women.

Addressing an election rally at Sedam town in this district, Vadra accused the prime minister of protecting those who committed atrocities against women.

"The person (Prajwal Revanna) who shared the stage with PM Modi and for whom Modi asked votes committed atrocities on thousands of women. I want to ask PM Modi and HM Amit Shah what they want to say about it," she asked.

Vadra said sometime back when she went to meet her daughter (overseas) for three days, Modi and Shah started saying that she had gone abroad.

"They get to know where I or opposition leaders have gone, but this kind of criminal, this type of demon leaves the country and they do not get to know this?" she said.

"How can we trust them? All the information goes to them, they keep a watch on all the leaders where they are going but someone who committed such a big crime and flees the country right under their nose, and they do not have information," she said.

The Congress general secretary asked women to seek accountability of the prime minister. "Sisters, ask for accountability, so that Modi should never dare to ask about anyone's 'Mangalsutra' until the accused (in the alleged sex scandal) returns from abroad," she said, recounting Modi's 'Mangalsutra' charge.

Vadra alleged that Modi was talking "gibberish" these days and wants elections to be fought on "Hindu-Muslim issues." "These days the PM talks about Mangalsutra and your jewels. Where was he when atrocities took place with Olympic medalists? Where was he when women were raped in Hathras and Unnao and they were burnt?" She sought to know whether Modi spoke in favour of women or was his government protecting criminals. "I want to ask Modi what he has done for the security of women. He has weakened them at every level." Vadra charged the prime minister with speaking only about what has happened in the past 70 years. Repeating such statements will not be acceptable, she said, adding, Modi has been in power for 10 years and he must tell the country how many universities he had opened.

"Congress started IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, ISRO, DRDO. You name it, Congress built them. Congress strengthened the private and public sectors so that you get a job. Let him say how many jobs he created," Vadra said.

"What did he do for the safety of women? He only protected those who committed atrocities on women. Let him talk about his work if he has courage. He doesn't have courage," she alleged.

The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged sex scandal involving the 33-year-old Prajwal, who is the grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

Police have also booked Prajwal and his father -- MLA and former Minister H D Revanna -- for sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman, who worked in their household.

The FIR filed against Revanna and Prajwal had been referred to the SIT.

Some explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal Revanna, the BJP-JD(S) alliance's candidate from Hassan which went to polls on Friday, had started making the rounds in Hassan in recent days.

According to information available with police, Prajwal had left the country (after the polling was over), the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's office had said in a statement.

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