HD Kumaraswamy Faces Police Case Over Deepawali Electricity Theft

In Karnataka, H.D. Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Minister and leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) party, caught up in a controversy over using electricity in the wrong way during Deepwali.

Kumaraswamy is said to have used electricity without permission for Deepawali decorations at his house. This means he’s accused of “electricity theft,” a serious issue. 

The Congress party, which is another big political group in Karnataka, made these accusations. They even shared a video on social media showing electric wires going from Kumaraswamy’s house to a nearby electric pole.

When people asked Kumaraswamy about this, he didn’t deny it. He said that a decorator, hired to light up his house for Deepawali, connected the lights to a nearby power line without his knowledge. 

He found out when he got home, quickly changed it, and connected the lights to his own house’s power. He even said sorry for what happened.

The police have started an official investigation, known as an FIR, under Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act. This law deals with stealing electricity. Kumaraswamy said he’s ready to face any investigation and will pay a fine if needed.

The Congress party is focusing on this issue. They put up a video online and even put up posters near the JD(S) office calling Kumaraswamy an “electricity thief.” They’re saying that as a former Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy should have known better and not done something like this.

Kumaraswamy has hit back at the Congress party. He’s upset about the posters and thinks Congress is just trying to make him look bad for their political benefit. He’s also pointed out that he’s not afraid of investigations by big agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the Income Tax (IT) department.

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Other politicians are talking about this too. The Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, D.K. Shivakumar, said it’s good that Kumaraswamy admitted to the mistake. 

Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister, mentioned that if the police start an investigation, it usually means something wrong happened. He also said that just saying sorry after doing something wrong doesn’t always fix things.