New Delhi:

Amid the political row over intercourse scandal-accused Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs has mentioned that he travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport and no political clearance was both sought or given by the ministry. 

Mr Revanna, who’s the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and nephew of former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, was suspended from the Janata Dal (Secular) over movies by which he can allegedly be seen sexually assaulting a number of ladies. The Hassan MP had left for Germany on Saturday, a day after voting for the Lok Sabha elections had taken place within the constituency.

The movies of the alleged sexual assault had begun circulating on-line the identical day. 

To a query on whether or not Mr Revanna was travelling on a diplomatic passport and whether or not political clearance was given by the ministry, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned on the weekly media briefing on Thursday, “No political clearance was both sought from or issued by the MEA in respect of the journey of the mentioned MP to Germany. Clearly, no visa notice was issued both. No visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to journey to Germany.”

“The ministry has additionally not issued any visa notice for another nation for the mentioned MP. He travelled on a diplomatic passport,” he added.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had, on Wednesday, written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested for the cancellation of the diplomatic passport of Mr Revanna and the initiation of different mandatory steps to make sure his swift return. 

When he was requested about this and whether or not Mr Revanna has been positioned anyplace in Germany Mr Jaiswal mentioned a diplomatic passport may be revoked beneath the Passport Act, 1967. “Below the provisions of the Act, the passport may be revoked based mostly on the instructions of a courtroom. We’ve not obtained any such instructions to this point,” he mentioned. 

To a different query on whether or not taking political clearance is necessary whereas travelling on a diplomatic passport, the spokesperson solely mentioned Members of Parliament are entitled to such passports and that no political clearance was taken.

Earlier on Thursday, Karnataka Dwelling Minister G Parameshwara mentioned the suspended JDS chief has to seem earlier than the Particular Investigation Workforce investigating the intercourse scandal and in addition hinted that he might be arrested if he didn’t accomplish that. 

The political slugfest over the problem has additionally escalated, with the Congress attacking the JDS and the BJP, inviting sharp retorts from each events.