Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday, 5 November 2026 fired back at Karnataka Home, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge after Kharge called him a 'village idiot' — a remark that has sharpened the political confrontation in Bengaluru over the alleged sting operation linked to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Rather than retracting, Kumaraswamy embraced the taunt, invoking Mahatma Gandhi to reframe his rural identity as a badge of honour.

Kumaraswamy's Rejoinder

'India's soul lives in its villages,' Kumaraswamy said, directly quoting the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. 'It is true, I am a villager. I was born there, played and grew up there. I am proud to call myself a villager,' the Union Minister added, turning what was intended as a slur into a pointed political statement.

The response was widely seen as a rhetorical pivot — deflecting the substance of Kharge's critique while claiming moral high ground through a Gandhian reference. Notably, Kumaraswamy did not directly address the procedural questions Kharge raised about the alleged email complaint.

What Priyank Kharge Said

The exchange was triggered by Kumaraswamy's earlier questioning of why an alleged email sent by a victim in connection with the sting operation case had not prompted official action. Kharge, responding at a press conference on Wednesday, argued that police and the Child Rights Commission cannot act on a private email unless the matter is formally brought to their notice.

'If someone sends a private email, how will the police or the Child Rights Commission come to know about it? Unless the Child Rights Commission brings the matter to the notice of the police department, how will the department know? Does he not have this basic common sense? He was a Chief Minister and is now a Union Minister. Is he a village idiot?' Kharge said.

Kharge also questioned why Kumaraswamy had not acted on the alleged complaint during his own tenure as Chief Minister — pointing out that the email reportedly dates to 2015, within the period Kumaraswamy held the top post for approximately one-and-a-half years. 'Was he monitoring the grazing of donkeys all that time instead of taking action? Was he silent despite knowing about the case? Was he abetting the crime?' Kharge asked.

The Sting Operation Controversy

At the centre of the row is an alleged sting operation linked to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, details of which remain under active investigation. The ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) combine have been trading accusations over the handling of the case, with both sides accusing the other of selective outrage and political opportunism.

Kharge dismissed calls for a live investigation process, saying, 'Are we running a Bigg Boss show in the state to livestream the investigation? Who is he to decide who should be investigated and who should not?' He urged Kumaraswamy to instead ask his own colleagues to come forward and record their statements with the investigating agency.

Investigation Status and What Comes Next

Kharge stated that the police have already recorded statements and collected the necessary material. He said a chargesheet would be filed once the investigation concludes, at which point it would become a public document. 'At this stage, we cannot make statements about the details of the investigation, as they are confidential and part of the ongoing probe,' he said.

This comes amid a broader pattern of escalating verbal confrontations between Karnataka's Congress government and the BJP-JD(S) opposition, with the sting operation case becoming the latest flashpoint. The war of words between the two camps shows no sign of abating, and the chargesheet — when filed — is likely to reignite debate over accountability on both sides.