Suspended JDS MP Prajwal Revanna, who has a lookout notice against him for a sexual harassment case involving multiple women, left for Germany on his diplomatic passport without political clearance from the ministry of external affairs, the MEA said on Thursday.

External affairs ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday confirmed this in response to questions on whether Prajwal travelled on a diplomatic passport and if the ministry had given him political clearance for the travel.

“No political clearance was either sought from or issued by the MEA to Prajwal to travel to Germany,” Jaiswal said, adding: “Obviously, no visa note was issued either.”

He clarified that no visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany. “The ministry has also not issued any visa note for any other country to him,” the spokesman said.

The ministry issues a visa note on request from an MP for travel to countries which require visas.

As for Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah’s demand that Prajwal’s diplomatic passport be cancelled, Jaiswal said that the Passports Act, 1967, mandates it can be done only if there is a court direction. “As of now, we do not have such a direction from any court,” he said.

Jaiswal was asked whether Prajwal broke protocol by travelling without political clearance, as a Rajya Sabha bulletin of December 2, 2022, clearly states that a member, when using a diplomatic passport, should take political clearance even if travelling on a private visit. The spokesperson sidestepped the question, saying these are guidelines of Parliament.

PM, apologise: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for soliciting votes for Prajwal, who he alleged had raped 400 women and made their videos. Addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Shivamogga, Rahul said Modi should apologise to the women of India for seeking votes for the “mass rapist”.

“The PM should also apologise to the mothers and sisters of India. Prajwal Revanna rapes 400 women and makes videos. This is not a sex scandal but mass rape,” the former Congress president alleged.

“The Prime Minister supported the mass rapist on the stage in front of Karnataka. He (Modi) told Karnataka that if you vote for this rapist, it will help me,” Rahul said, adding: “Every woman in Karnataka should know when the Prime Minister was asking for your vote, he was aware of what Prajwal did.”

He alleged that every BJP leader was aware that Prajwal was a “mass rapist” and yet they supported him and the party formed an alliance with the JDS. “It is news worldwide that the PM solicited votes for a mass rapist,” Rahul said.