'Don’t test my patience', Deve Gowda issues stern warning to absconding grandson Prajwal Revanna

Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday issued a stern warning to his fugitive grandson and JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna, the prime accused in the alleged sex video scandal in Karnataka.

Taking it to social media, Deve Gowda said, “I have issued a warning to Prajwal Revanna to return immediately from wherever he is and subject himself to the legal process. He should not test my patience any further.”

In the two-page letter addressed to his grandson under the title ‘My warning to Prajwal Revanna’, the veteran JD-S leader said: “It took me some time to recover from the shock and pain he has inflicted on me, my entire family, my colleagues, friends, and party workers.”

“I have already said that he should be given the harshest punishment under the law if found guilty. At this juncture, I can do only one thing. I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process.

"This is not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning... He will have to face the anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately,” Deve Gowda wrote.

“It is of utmost importance for me to earn back the people's trust. They have stood by me for over 60 years of my political life and I am deeply indebted to them. As long as I am alive, I will never let them down,” he said.

“People have used the harshest words against me and my family in the last few weeks. I am aware of it. I do not wish to stop them. I do not wish to criticise them. I will not try and argue with them that they should have waited until all the facts were found out.

“I cannot convince people that I was unaware of Prajwal’s activities. I cannot convince them that I have no desire to shield him. I cannot convince them that I am not aware of his movements, and that I was not aware of his foreign trip. I believe in answering my conscience. I believe in God and I know the almighty knows the truth.

“I will not venture to comment on political conspiracies, exaggerations, provocations, and falsehoods that have been maliciously spread in the recent weeks. I am sure that people who have done it will have to answer God and pay for it heavily one day. I place my truth and my burdens at the feet of the lord,” Deve Gowda said.

The former Prime Minister also said that he would ensure that there is no interference in the inquiry against Prajwal Revanna by the family members.

"There is no emotion in my mind in this regard. There is only the cause of justice for those who have suffered as a result of his alleged actions and misdeeds,” he said.