Prajwal Revanna, Hassan MP, facing allegations of sexually abusing many women, is expected to return to India on May 31. Many progressive organisations have come together to stage a protest demanding his immediate arrest on May 30.
Among those actively participating in the protest are leaders of several Dalit groups, who have often fought against the former Minister H.D. Revanna on several issues. Factions of th Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) allege that the former Minister stood by the accused in cases of caste-based atrocities. This was most evident in the Sigaranahalli issue, where Dalit women were slapped with a fine for entering temples. They also accuse Mr. Revanna of ill-treating Dalit leaders.
Temple entry
Hassan district in the past has witnessed many incidents of Dalits being barred from entering temples. In the Sigaranahalli case, four Dalit women were asked to pay a fine of ₹1,000 each for entering the Basaveshwara temple in the village on August 31, 2015. A meeting convened by representatives of the ‘upper caste” Vokkaligas had decided the penalty.
When Dalits protested and demanded action against the accused, Mr. Revanna, then Holenarsipur MLA, had stood by the “upper caste” people and suggested that the status quo need not be disturbed. Mr. Revanna’s father and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, addressing a meeting of his party workers in Hassan on November 2, 2015, had said that in many temples, Vokkaligas and a few sections of Brahmins too were not allowed to enter. However, eventually, the district administration had to arrange the entry of Dalits to the temple under police security on April 24, 2016.
Earlier, several people were arrested for resorting to violence against the entry of Dalits into the temple on April 2, 2016. Then SP of Hassan, Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad, also suffered injuries in the incident. Two days later, Mr. Revanna staged a protest in Hassan along with leaders of the party in support of the arrested.
There were also protests when, in the same village, a community hall was built using government funds and named Vokkaliga Bhavan, and Dalit families were not allowed to hold any programmes there. The name of the structure was changed following protests.
‘Don’t entertain Dalits’
The leaders allege that Mr. Revanna does not entertain Dalits at his place early in the morning. Lingaraju, a resident of Jai Bhim Nagar in Arkalgud taluk, a leader of Chalavadi Mahasabha, recalled an instance that happened a few years ago. He, along with a few associates, had been to Holenarsipur to invite Mr. Revanna for a cultural programme.
“Mr. Revanna had come out after offering his prayers. As we introduced ourselves, he got furious and instructed his men to send us out. Since then, we stopped inviting him for any programme,” he said.
Similar is the experience of T.R. Vijay Kumar, leader of the Madiga Dandora Horata Samiti. “I faced the wrath of Mr. Revanna for reaching his place early in the morning once,” he alleged.
