A screenshot of a video of HD Kumaraswamy's house tweeted by Congress
Less than a month after he accused the Congress government of creating an artificial power shortage in Karnataka, a case has been filed against Janata Dal(Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy for allegedly lighting up his house on Diwali using stolen electricity.
Hours before the case was registered, the Congress had, on Tuesday, tweeted a video of electricity being drawn from a pole outside the former chief minister's residence at JP Nagar in Bengaluru to power decorative lights for Diwali. In a sarcastic post with the video, the party had said its government was providing the Griha Jyoti scheme for 200 units of free electricity and wondered why Mr Kumaraswamy was resorting to "cheap theft".
Denying any theft, the JD(S) leader has said that a private decorator had connected the lights to the pole to test them and he had got them linked to his electricity meter as soon as he found out. Apologising for the "indiscretion", he asked the electricity distributor, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM), to issue a notice and said he would pay the fine.
The case against the former chief minister was filed by BESCOM at Bengaluru's Jayanagar Police Station under the Indian Electricity Act.
Congress Attack
The video posted by the Congress on X, formerly Twitter, shows a wire linking Mr Kumaraswamy's residence and an electricity pole outside it. Shot both during daylight and in the evening, it also shows the house and some trees in the compound illuminated with Diwali lights.
"The world's most honest man, HD Kumaraswamy, has been illegally connecting his JP Nagar residence to the electric pole to draw electricity for Diwali lights. It is a tragedy that a former chief minister has become a victim of electricity theft! Dear @hd_kumaraswamy, our government is giving 200 units free to homes, not 2,000 units! If they were so desperate, they could have applied for the Griha Jyoti Scheme," the Karnataka Congress handle posted in Kannada on X.
Mocking Mr Kumaraswamy and stating that he may not have known that only one meter is allowed under the scheme, the Congress accused him of using stolen electricity.
"In spite of the lack of power in the state, even though we have taken measures to provide seven hours of electricity to the farmers, are you facing such a 'drought' that you need to resort to such cheap theft? Didn't you hold a press conference and say 'Karnataka is in the dark' and now you have lit your house with stolen electricity," the post said.
"When your house is shining like this, why do you say that Karnataka is in the dark... You seem to want a 'Diwali' by robbing the people of the state of their Diwali," the party jibed.
'Nothing Hidden'
Hitting back at the Congress, Mr Kumaraswamy accused the ruling party of seeking publicity.
"A private decorator was asked to decorate my house with electric lights for Diwali. After decorating the house with electric lights, they used electricity from a nearby pole and tested it... This matter came to my attention when I came back home last night. I immediately removed the wire and connected it to the meter board of the house. This is the reality. There is nothing hidden in this," Mr Kumaraswamy posted in Kannada on X.
He apologised for the "indiscretion" and said BESCOM officials should come to his house for an inspection, issue a notice, and that he would pay the fine. He accused the Congress of trying to get publicity by making the allegation and said he was concerned about the "petty mentality" of the party.
"I have not embezzled any state property...The thirst for wealth is not satisfied by drinking the blood of another. The deputy chief minister said that Kumaraswamy has stolen electricity, BESCOM should take action. I am at home. Let the BESCOM officials come. I am ready for any move by them," he posted before the case was registered.
Undeterred by the post, the Congress said that electricity theft was no trivial matter.
"As the Chief Minister of the state, he should be ashamed of himself for dismissing electricity theft as a trivial issue. How much more looting of the state can be justified as a trivial matter," the party asked in a reply to the post.