The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) has filed a case against former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy following accusations of him drawing power illegally for illuminating his JP Nagar residence during Deepavali. The Vigilance Wing of BESCOM registered the case under section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act (Theft of electricity). The Congress in Karnataka initiated the allegations, claiming Kumaraswamy used an illegal power connection directly from an electricity pole.
In response, Kumaraswamy asserted that a private decorator, not himself, was responsible for the unauthorised connection. He stated that upon learning about it, he promptly had it removed and obtained a legitimate electricity connection from the house's meter board. The Congress, however, posted a video on social media platform X, mocking Kumaraswamy for allegedly stealing electricity. The party sarcastically referred to him as "the lone honest person in the world" and criticised his actions being a former Chief Minister.
Kumaraswamy expressed regret for the incident and welcomed BESCOM officials to inspect and issue a notice, committing to pay any fines imposed. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar confirmed that BESCOM would take appropriate action. The Congress continued its criticism, highlighting the irony of Kumaraswamy's actions amid the state's power shortage and farmer struggles. The ruling party questioned why he claimed the state was in darkness while illuminating his house with stolen electricity.
The Congress taunted Kumaraswamy, suggesting he should have applied for the government's 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme, which offers 200 units of free electricity a month for residential connections. The party accused him of not adhering to the scheme's single electricity meter policy. Responding to the taunts, Kumaraswamy dismissed the issue as a petty matter and accused the Congress of making an unnecessary fuss. The ruling party questioned his priorities, asking if he needed to illuminate his home during a drought and whether he wanted to enjoy stolen electricity meant for farmers.