Bengaluru: Almost a month after former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy kept a close watch on him over his expensive foreign watch, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he would deposit it with the state government and declare it a state asset.
He has also told media that the actual cost of the watch is nearly Rs 7 lakh and not Rs 70 lakh, as alleged by Kumaraswamy.
The Karnataka Chief Minister has also informed the media that his Dubai based friend, Dr Girish Chandra Varma, gifted it to him during one of his visits to Bengaluru in July 2015. He has also claimed that they have known each other since 1983.
Siddaramaiah has also announced that he will declare it in his Income Tax returns and send the details to state Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate of the Centre. The "friend", Dr Varma, has also confirmed that he actually gave his own watch to Siddaramaiah and it's not a new one.
Reacting to this, Kumaraswamy has once again alleged that Siddaramaiah is hiding details and there should be an independent inquiry into it.
Siddaramaiah faced attack over his wrist watch after former chief minister and his arch rival HD Kumaraswamy alleged that the CM wore a watch worth Rs 70 lakh. Addressing an election meeting he said, "Siddaramaiah calls himself a socialist. But, he wears a foreign watch worth Rs 70 lakh and his shade costs another Rs 5 lakh."
Reacting to the same, Siddaramaiah said that he was willing to give both his watch and shades to Kumaraswamy for just Rs 5 lakh. Speaking to media, he had said "Kumaraswamy has no credibility. He believes in hit-and-run politics. His charges are utterly baseless. I did not buy this watch. A friend gifted it to me."
The main opposition BJP had also joined the debate after the issue became a talk of the town across Karnataka. Union Law Minister and former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda had attacked Siddaramaiah calling him a 'luxury' chief minister.
Addressing an Assembly by-poll meeting in Hebbala constituency of Bengaluru, Sadananda Gowda had said, "Even if Siddaramaiah auctions himself, nobody will buy him. Forget buying his watch and shades for Rs 5 lakh. He is a worthless man".
The costly foreign watches have created problems for Karnataka politicians even in the past. Back in early 1980s, a minister in the erstwhile Gundurao government had to quit his post over a Rolex watch. Former Union minister CM Ibrahim had bragged about his Rolex watch gifted to him by a minister in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at a public meeting. When it became a big issue, he was forced to resign from the state Cabinet.
He later went on to become a Union Minister in the Gowda and Gujral governments at the Centre. He is very close to Siddaramaiah and currently deputy chairman of Karnataka State Planning Board.
Two other former chief ministers, BS Yeddyurappa and SM Krishna, are also fond of expensive watches and often sport them in public.
Comments
0 comment