Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: Congress accuses HDK of ‘power theft’ for Deepavali lighting, and more

The ruling Congress has accused JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy of ‘power theft’ to light up his home for Deepavali. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on November 14, the Karnataka Congress shared a video showing a cable, stretching out from the terrace of Mr. Kumaraswamy’s residence at J.P. Nagar in Bengaluru, and connecting directly to a power line across the street.

Mr. Kumaraswamy later clarified that the lighting was put up by a private decorator and the connection to the power line was removed after he found out about it. He hit out at the Congress for ‘making a big issue of a small thing’. The former Karnataka CM said he was open to an investigation by power authorities into the matter and would willingly pay a fine if served a notice.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took a jibe at the BJP saying that none of its leaders participated in the freedom struggle, and they were only beneficiaries of India’s independence. Noting the contribution of first PM Jawaharlal Nehru to the independence and development of modern India, Mr. Siddaramaiah said BJP leaders’ only job was to criticise Nehru for political gain.

The CM paid floral tributes to Nehru on his 134th birth anniversary on November 14, 2023, at the State Secretariat, and later at the Congress party’s office in Bengaluru, along with Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and other party colleagues.

Mohammed Noor, husband of 46-year-old Haseena, who along with her three children were murdered in Udupi on November 12, has asked the police to catch the assailants at the earliest to relieve the tension in the area. Home Minister G. Parameshwara, with whom Mr. Noor had a telephonic conversation, assured that the killer would be arrested in a day or two.

Mr. Noor said his immediate neighbours and others in the locality were in a state of shock following the murder. Standing by the family in this hour of grief, the residents had not burst crackers and celebrated Deepavali, he told reporters.

Mangaluru International Airport has embarked on an ‘airport village’ project that will provide diverse food and beverage, retail and gaming options for enthusiasts. Work on the first phase of the project has begun.