Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) has attacked the state Congress government for its failure to pay the salaries of 108 ambulance drivers, despite their crucial role in emergency healthcare services. The criticism comes amidst growing discontent over the government’s inability to fulfil its financial obligations.

In a scathing statement, the JDS accused the government of prioritising popularity over the welfare of its citizens. Highlighting the plight of the ambulance drivers, who have not received their salaries for three months, the party condemned the administration’s lack of accountability.

“The state Congress government is more addicted to popularity than people,” remarked the JDS spokesperson. “Irresponsibility is more evident than drought management. It’s a disgrace that these drivers, who risk their lives to save others, have been neglected in this manner.”

The issue gained further traction after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a bold declaration during a speech in Bagalkot, promising to resign if any state government employee reported unpaid wages. JDS immediately seized upon this statement, calling for the CM’s resignation in light of the unpaid salaries of the ambulance drivers.

“If even a single government employee of the state comes to me and says that his salary has not been paid, I will retire from politics,” CM Siddaramaiah had declared.

Responding to the CM’s challenge, the JDS demanded immediate action to rectify the situation and ensure that the ambulance drivers receive their overdue wages without further delay.

New Delhi: Stepping up attack on the BJP over sexual abuse allegations against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka, the Congress of Monday alleged that the Modi government has “always protected” those who commit crimes against women.

Former All India Mahila Congress chief Netta D’Souza said the BJP has only given slogans such as ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, but the reality is there before the people of the country.

“Be it the brave women wrestlers or daughters like Ankita Bhandari, the prime minister did not try to provide justice to any daughter. The BJP government has always protected those who commit crimes against women,” she alleged at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.

“The women of the country are very angry on the issue of Prajwal Revanna. Women are forced to think that the real character of the person, who was under the protection of Modi ji inside Parliament for the last 5 years, has been revealed to the country,” she said.

“If someone else had done the same thing then Modi ji would have been saying all over the country — ‘Look, we have caught the criminal to protect our daughters’,” D’Souza said.

“But now when it comes to his favourite person, his attitude is in front of the entire country,” she said.

While the Congress has been attacking the BJP over the allegations of sexual abuse against leaders of its ally JD(S), the BJP has blamed the Congress government in Karnataka for the “delayed” action against the accused and said it would push for the full might of law against the accused.

D’Souza said PM Modi had shared the stage with Prajwal Revanna, who is seeking re-election from Hassan Lok Sabha seat, and sought votes for him.

“If Modi is there, then it is possible for Prajwal Revanna to flee abroad. If Modi is there, then it was possible for Prajwal Revanna to sit in Parliament. But today Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani are silent,” she said.

“Modi ji was saying that the vote given to Prajwal Revanna would strengthen him. Now the women of the country will give you an answer on ‘400 paar’,” she said, referring to the BJP’s election slogan.

Prajwal and his father H D Revanna were booked by police on Sunday on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman who worked in their household.

Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and a nephew of Karnataka’s former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Faced with unrelenting attacks from the Congress and other political parties, the JD(S), an ally of the BJP, has suspended Prajwal.

Karnataka JD(S) MLA H D Revanna was arrested by the Special Investigation Team on Saturday in a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegations against his son Prajwal soon after a court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Sunday said a ‘Blue Corner’ notice has been issued and Interpol’s help is being taken to bring Prajwal Revanna back to India.

JD(S) MLA H D Revanna

Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team probing the case against JD(S) MLA H D Revanna in connection with the alleged kidnapping and illegal confining of a woman carried out a spot inspection at his residence at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on Monday.

In the absence of the Revanna family, the SIT team summoned his lawyer, Gopal, for the spot inspection.

Two days ago, the SIT had inspected the MLA’s house at Holenarasipura in Hassan district.

Revanna, son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is facing two cases. One pertains to the molestation of the cook in which Revanna’s son Prajwal is also an accused.

The second one is a kidnapping case registered on May 2. The victim’s son charged that Revanna’s aide Sathish Babanna took his mother on a bike on April 29 and put her in an illegal confinement after videos surfaced showing Prajwal allegedly tied and raped her.

The woman has been rescued. The police team is going around the places where she was allegedly sexually brutalised.

Many explicit videos and photographs of several women have surfaced who were allegedly raped, molested and filmed by Prajwal.

The SIT took the two complainants to various locations where the rape and molestation took place.

Meanwhile, Revanna’s lawyer Gopal alleged that the SIT team did not let him inside the JD(S) leader’s Basavanagudi house.

He charged that he was given notice for the spot inspection but the SIT did not allow him inside.

“I am not allowed inside though I should have been present there. Illegal things are going on. I am not against spot inspection. When the SIT served me a notice to be present here, why I was kept outside? Did I say that I will not cooperate?” Gopal sought to know.

Stating that a list of seized items has to be provided, he wondered whom the SIT will hand over to.

“Shouldn’t you (SIT) provide it to the person authorised for spot inspection? The SIT is doing it in a one-sided manner. They are doing it keeping the process away from my glare,” the lawyer said.

Meanwhile, security personnel are on the alert at the Kempegowda International Airport anticipating the arrival of Prajwal from abroad. A Blue Corner Notice has also been issued against him.

A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

(L-R) JD(S) MLA H D Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna

Bengaluru: JD(S) MLA H D Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna, the incumbent MP from Hassan, who have been booked for alleged sexual harassment, have been issued notices by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday, official sources said.

They have been asked to appear before SIT for investigation, they said.

A case was registered at the Holenarsipura police station in Hassan district on Sunday, based on a complaint by a woman who worked in Revanna’s house.

The father-son duo was booked under IPC sections 354A (sexual abuse), 354D (stalking), 506 (threat) and 509 (insult caused to the modesty of a woman).

The FIR was referred to the SIT, led by B K Singh, Additional Director-General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, formed to probe the alleged sex scandal involving Prajwal Revanna, after several explicit videos were in circulation.

Prajwal Revanna is not in the country and is said to have flown abroad after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka on April 26.

Prajwal Revanna is the BJP-JD(S) candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls on Friday.

Bengaluru: The investigation into the obscene video pen drive case involving Hassan JDS MP Prajwal Revanna has gained momentum after 18 personnel, including police officers and staff from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), have been appointed to the team.

Following directives from the Director General of Police, key appointments to the SIT include ACP Priyadarshini Ishwar Sanikoppa from Marath Halli Sub Division, Bengaluru City, ACP Satyanarayan Singh SB from Bengaluru City CCB, and Dhanya N., ACP of Mangaluru South Sub Division.

Other notable members include Inspector Bharti G. from Mangaluru Urwa Police, Inspector Sumarani B.S. from K.R. Police Station, and Inspector Swarna G.S. from Alanahalli Police Station.

Initial proceedings have involved the interrogation of five women victims, from whom statements have been obtained.

Bengaluru: Veteran politician, BJP MP and former Union Minister V Srinivasa Prasad died on Monday, family sources said.

The 76-year-old Lok Sabha member from Chamarajnagar was ailing for some time and being treated at a private hospital, where he passed away early today.

Prasad is survived by wife and three daughters.

He was a six-time MP from Chamarajanagar and also served as MLA from Nanjangud in Mysuru district for two terms.

On March 18 this year, Prasad announced his retirement from electoral politics, marking his 50 years in public life.

He first contested Assembly elections as an independent in 1974.

Prasad joined the erstwhile Janata Party in 1976 and switched over to the Congress in 1979. He also had a stint with the JD(S), JD (U), and the Samata Party before crossing over to the BJP.

Prasad served as the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004.

He returned to the Congress fold later, got elected as an MLA in 2013 and became Revenue Minister in the Siddaramaiah government.

In 2016, Prasad resigned from the Assembly and rejoined the BJP. He contested the 2017 Nanjangud bypolls on a BJP ticket but lost. He then successfully fought the Lok Sabha election from Chamarajanagar in 2019.

Condoling his death, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah described Prasad as a strong voice for the oppressed Dalits.

“The departure of the leader who lived the struggle against injustice and inequality is a big setback for the political struggle for social justice in the state,” he added.

“He was a progressive-thinking political leader. Although we worked in different parties for a long time in old Mysuru region, we maintained a respectful relationship with each other. When I met him recently, we reminisced. I never thought Prasad would leave us so soon,” the CM said.

BJP stalwart and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said: ‘I met him only a few days ago and I can’t believe that he is not with us now. He was recognised as an influential Dalit leader who had made his mark in the politics of the state and the country.”

Bengaluru: BJP leader CT Ravi was on Friday booked for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity between citizens through his social media post, the Election Commission said.

The action was initiated by the election officials of Chikkamagaluru, they said.

Taking to ‘X’, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer said Chikkamagaluru election Officials have booked an FIR against CT Ravi for his post on X for violation under the Representation of the People Act and 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code in Basavanahalli police station for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity between different classes of citizens.

Bengaluru: “The JD(S)-BJP alliance will crush the ruling Congress party after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The citizens have understood the Congress party’s empty guarantees, people have understood that they will be trapped in debt due to the guarantees,” said JD(S) Karnataka President HD Kumaraswamy during a poll campaign for Bengaluru South BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya on Sunday.

Highlighting the Prime Minister’s immense contribution to the state, Kumaraswamy stated, “People are going to vote for the schemes implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the welfare of people.”

He further revealed that workers of both the parties were working in harmony without allowing any room for confusion across all the fields.

Kumaraswamy commended the works done by Surya and called him a good parliamentarian who unites and leads the youth. He further said, “ Surya has done several good works in Bengaluru South constituency in the last five years. His residence is also in this constituency, he has a vision for the development of this constituency.”

Speaking at the campaigning, Bengaluru South contender Surya stated that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has always appreciated and encouraged him for his works in the constituency. “Kumaranna’s campaigning on my behalf has increased my strength in this constituency,” he said.

Udupi: An elderly woman passed away after casting her vote at her home in Brahmavar taluk on April 16.

P. Yashodha (83), the wife of retired village accountant D. Narayan Upadhyay is the deceased. The Election Commission had permitted special voting arrangements for senior citizens, allowing them to vote from home. Consequently, P. Yashodha exercised her voting right from home.

On Tuesday, when the senior citizens were scheduled to vote, P. Yashodha experienced chest pain but opted to go to the hospital only after casting her vote. She was subsequently admitted to Koteshwar Private Hospital. Sadly, she succumbed to her illness around 9 pm without receiving treatment.