Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday, 15 October 2026, issued a direct challenge to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Home Minister Priyank Kharge to arrest him, as the political storm over the alleged sting operation in Karnataka escalated sharply. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, the Janata Dal (Secular) state president accused the Congress-led state government of deploying police and state machinery as instruments of political vendetta against him.

The Dare and the Demand

Kumaraswamy demanded that the alleged sting operation be probed under a retired judge, explicitly rejecting the need for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry and instead calling for oversight by a sitting judge. Speaking in combative terms, he said he was prepared to walk into the Bengaluru Police Commissioner's office himself and invite his own arrest — if evidence against him existed.

'Mr Shivakumar and Priyank Kharge, 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? You have said that I would be taken into custody if there was an element of suspicion. Dare to touch me. The agitation will begin, and I will see who all you can touch,' he said.

He clarified he would fully cooperate — and even 'support' — action if his party workers were genuinely found to have erred, but drew a sharp distinction between legitimate inquiry and what he described as politically motivated police use.

Allegations of Police Overreach

Kumaraswamy alleged that police had detained a youth associated with his party's war room without serving a formal notice, seized his mobile phone, and kept him at an undisclosed location until 8 p.m., without allowing him to contact his family. A second war room worker, he alleged, was questioned over the phone. He challenged authorities to simultaneously examine the mobile phones of Chief Minister Shivakumar and his personal assistant as part of any credible investigation.

He also warned police officers against arresting innocent party workers during the upcoming period when courts would remain closed for five to six days from Friday, noting that detentions during a judicial recess would leave those arrested without immediate legal recourse.

The Revanna Parallel and the Section 164 Allegation

Kumaraswamy claimed he had received information two days prior that the alleged original source of the sting operation had met Chief Minister Shivakumar to discuss implicating him by obtaining a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He described this as a blueprint similar to the case involving his brother, former minister and JD(S) MLA H.D. Revanna — whose son, JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, has been convicted in a separate case.

'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, making explicit the family parallel he believes the government is attempting to replicate.

The Broader Political Context

This comes amid ongoing court proceedings initiated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the circulation of the alleged sting operation video. Kumaraswamy referred to a pen drive and YouTube content submitted during those proceedings, arguing that the material needed independent scrutiny in any fair probe. He also raised an alleged audio clip involving Siddaramaiah in the Prajwal Revanna case, questioning why that had not been investigated and accusing the Congress of applying a double standard to allegations involving its own leaders versus its political opponents.

Notably, the JD(S) is currently aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, giving the Karnataka sting row a dimension that cuts across both state and national politics. Kumaraswamy, who apologised to the public for the sharpness of his language, maintained that the state's larger interests were at stake.

What Happens Next

With courts set to remain closed for nearly a week, legal experts say any detentions in this window carry higher political and procedural risk. The state government has not yet formally responded to Kumaraswamy's demand for a retired-judge-led probe. All eyes are now on whether Karnataka Police will escalate action against JD(S) functionaries — and whether the Centre intervenes given Kumaraswamy's Union ministerial position.