KA-BENZ-LD SIDDARAMAIAH

Amid the political turbulence in Karnataka, former chief minister and senior Congress leader

Siddaramaiah found himself in a fresh controversy after media reports emerged that he had been "gifted" a Mercedes-Benz car

by his party legislator. The car claimed to be worth over Rs 1.5 crore was

allegedly "gifted" by Byrathi Suresh, an agriculturist-cum industrialist and a realtor who is one of the richest

politicians in Karnataka. Suresh had declared assets of Rs 416 crore in the

affidavit filed by him for the 2017 May assembly polls. Latching on to the reports, the state BJP questioned

Siddaramaiah and accused him of having "made enough and more money" during his "10 per cent government".

The 10 per cent barb refers to alleged commission that the party claimed used to be paid during Siddaramaiah's chief

ministership. "Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh gifts Sri @siddaramaiah a

Mercedes-Benz car worth 1.5 crore.Wears spectacle costing 2 Lakh. Wore 80 lakh worth hublot watch. Siddaramaiah vere looks

like you have made enough & more money during your 10% govt, " the state BJP tweeted.

Refuting media reports, Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar said Siddaramaiah has not been gifted the car by

Suresh, but given for his traveling purposes. "There is no gift or anything. We sometimes take our

friends' vehicle to travel. There is no issue. Is there any record that he has received a gift or anything? Nothing, no

record," he said. In June 2018 also, Siddaramaiah was at the vortex of

controversy after the then minister K J George allegedly gifted him Toyota Land Cruiser with fuel coupons for a year.

George, then, had deflected the charges by saying that he had lent the vehicle as Siddaramaiah was uncomfortable

traveling long distances in his Innova car. Earlier in February 2016, Siddaramaiah had been mired

in controversy over a Rs 70 lakh worth diamond-studded Hublot watch gifted to him.

Siddaramaiah later handed over the watch to the then assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa amid an uproar in the House,

declaring it a state asset. Both opposition BJP and JDS members had staged a dharna

in the well of the House then. Countering the allegations, Siddaramaiah had said the

pre-owned "HUBLOT BIG BANG-301-M" wrist watch was presented to him by his Dubai-based NRI friend Dr Girish Chandra Varma in

July last at Bengaluru as a personal gift. Siddaramiah also said Varma had no official dealings

with Government of Karnataka or its organisations.