Siddaramaiah slams Kumaraswamy as JD-S leader accused of stealing power

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticised JD-S leader and ex-CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, who has been accused of being involved in a power theft episode during the recent Diwali celebrations by decorating his house with lights for which a direct connection was taken from a high-tension wire.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah stated: "An FIR has been lodged against Kumaraswamy as he had committed an offence. Claiming that a mistake had happened and he will repent for it won't suffice (for punishment)."

Siddaramaiah also said that he would not respond to the remarks made by Kumaraswamy against him.

"He (Kumaraswamy) will only tell lies. I won't bother to answer his lies," he maintained.

Earlier, the Congress had accused the JD-S leader of power theft, saying that his house was decorated with lights during Diwali through a direct connection from a high-tension wire.

The Congress said "Kumaraswamy should not have stooped down to the level of committing power theft to decorate his house".

"Being a former CM, you should be ashamed to defend the matter by claiming it as a petty matter. Likewise, you will defend the loot in future as well. You are trying to pass the buck by holding someone responsible.

Reacting to the attacks by Congress, Kumaraswamy said the private decorator had got the direct connection from the high tension wire without his knowledge and as soon as he came to know about it, he got it removed.

Kumaraswamy had said that he had the capacity to "overcome it".

"I have the morality to face challenges. I am an open book. I can handle the overpowering attempts and allegations by Congress.

"I did not indulge in the loot at the level of Congress. They had created a fake housing society to loot. They can't silence me," Kumaraswamy said.