New Delhi: The Indian government has initiated the process to revoke the diplomatic passport of suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of sexual abuse.
Prajwal, the grandson of former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda, is expected to land in Bengaluru on 31 May, a little over a month after he fled to Germany when incriminating videos began to surface.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has initiated action under provisions of the Passport Act, 1967 for revocation of the diplomatic passport of Revanna, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly press conference.
He added that a show cause notice was issued to the Hassan MP on 23 May seeking a response within 10 working days. “We are waiting for a response and will take further action as per the rules.”
In the briefing, the MEA spokesperson also said the Karnataka government had issued a request for cancellation of Prajwal’s passport on 21 May and action was initiated two days later.
Earlier this month, the MEA had confirmed that Prajwal travelled on a diplomatic passport to Germany without seeking political clearance from the ministry.
When using a diplomatic passport, MPs have to get political clearance from the MEA before proceeding abroad, even for private visits abroad, such as tourism or visiting friends and relatives.
Members of Parliament are entitled to a maroon-coloured diplomatic passport besides a normal one. This comes with certain privileges, including immunity from arrest in a host country.
Earlier this week, Prajwal released a video statement online in which he said he will appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday. He claimed he was not aware of the allegations nor was there a case filed against him when he left the country on 26 April.
The case has triggered angry reactions from several politicians, including Deve Gowda and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Earlier this week, Siddaramaiah said Prajwal abused diplomatic privileges to flee India. Last week, Deve Gowda issued a stern warning to his grandson to return immediately and surrender himself to the police.
(Edited by Tony Rai)