Dare to Arrest Me if You Have Evidence, Kumaraswamy Challenges Congress

Bengaluru, Oct 15 : Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday challenged Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister Priyank Kharge to arrest him if they had evidence linking him to the alleged sting operation, accusing the Congress government of misusing the police to target political opponents.

Demanding an impartial investigation under the supervision of a retired judge, Kumaraswamy questioned the fairness of the ongoing police probe while rejecting the need for a CBI investigation.

“If you have the courage, conduct a probe under a retired judge. I am speaking bravely and am not a coward like you. Do you think I will get scared?” he asked at a press conference here.

Kumaraswamy said he was willing to cooperate with the investigation if there was evidence against him or if any of his party workers had committed wrongdoing. He maintained that he would support action against anyone found guilty but accused the state government of using its authority and the police for political purposes.

The Union Minister alleged that the person believed to be the original source of the sting operation had met Shivakumar two days earlier to discuss implicating him through a statement recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Accusing the Chief Minister of attempting to send him to jail, Kumaraswamy referred to the case involving his brother and former minister H D Revanna.

“I am not Revanna. You called a woman, obtained a false statement from her and sent him to jail for five days. Do you think you can do the same to me?” he asked.

The allegations made by Kumaraswamy could not be independently verified.

He also questioned the police action against a youth associated with the JD(S) war room, alleging that the person had been detained without notice, his mobile phone seized and he was kept at a shed-like location until 8 pm. Kumaraswamy claimed that the youth was not allowed to speak to his wife. He further alleged that another war room worker had been contacted and questioned over the phone.

Questioning the impartiality of the investigation, Kumaraswamy challenged the police to examine the mobile phones of the Chief Minister and his personal assistant as well.

“If you collect all this information and then claim that Kumaraswamy is behind the sting operation, what kind of investigation is this?” he asked.

He warned police officers against arresting JD(S) workers without evidence, particularly with courts scheduled to remain closed for five to six days from Friday. He also urged the police not to shield those allegedly threatening his party workers.

Kumaraswamy questioned Priyank Kharge over an alleged audio clip involving the Chief Minister in the Prajwal Revanna case, asking why it had not been investigated. He accused the Congress leadership of applying different standards when allegations concerned its own leaders and political opponents.

Referring to court proceedings initiated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the circulation of the alleged sting operation video, Kumaraswamy said the material had entered the public domain and should be examined as part of a fair investigation. He referred to a pen drive and YouTube content submitted during the proceedings, claiming that the voice in the video concerning Siddaramaiah was clear.

Kumaraswamy further alleged that Shivakumar and Priyank Kharge had intensified the investigation since Wednesday and were acting in coordination against him.

Apologising to the public for his language during the press conference, he maintained that the state's interests were at stake and accused the ruling Congress of pursuing political vendettas.

The controversy has intensified the political confrontation between the Congress government and the JD(S), with Kumaraswamy demanding judicial supervision of the investigation and challenging the state leadership to establish its allegations through evidence.