Prajwal pen drive: Kumaraswamy challenges police to prove role

Bengaluru: Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has strongly denied allegations that he distributed the pen drive containing videos related to former MP Prajwal Revanna and instead accused Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of conspiring with Prajwal’s former driver Karthik.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy claimed that Karthik was responsible for circulating the pen drive. He alleged that Shivakumar had brought the driver to his residence as part of a planned operation. To support his charge, Kumaraswamy released call details which, he said, showed that Karthik had visited Shivakumar‘s house on August 5 and 6, 2023.

He demanded that the police investigate the visits and establish whether the pen drive was prepared or handled at the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence. He also questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged failure to examine this aspect.

Kumaraswamy accused Congress leaders of targeting his family after the JD(S) entered into an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He alleged that the political partnership had triggered efforts to damage his family’s reputation.

Taking exception to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner’s remarks in the sting operation case, Kumaraswamy said the officer should not have made such statements before completing the investigation. He denied knowing Rithesh Pandey and rejected reports linking the accused to his Delhi residence.

He further alleged that the investigation was being shaped to give Siddaramaiah a clean chit. Referring to Minister Yatindra Siddaramaiah’s remarks about possible involvement of Congress members, he asked why the police were not pursuing that line of inquiry.

Kumaraswamy said he was willing to face questioning or any probe but would not accept what he termed politically motivated allegations. He challenged the government to produce evidence and said he had never used his position as Chief Minister to pursue vendetta against political opponents.

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