Siddaramaiah's Hublot timepiece politics refuses to fade

Bengaluru, Feb 26: Politics on timepiece seems not in a mood to rest despite Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih issued clarification on his expensive wristwatch Hublot.

The CM in a press meet on Thursday, Feb 25 said Hublot which he was sporting the wrist was a second hand timepiece was forcefully gifted a by a friend, Dr Gopal Pillai Girishchandra Varma. Siddaramaih added his association with Varma is very long since 1983.

With an Enforcement Directorate (ED) looming over his opulent tastes, the CM was quick to slip into damage control mode. He said he would pay the gift tax for the Hublot that adorned his wrist and would give the same to the state.

The issue was surfaced after JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy raised allegations against CM's exorbitant wrist watch. Later the BJP complained this to the ED.

Even after CM came up with clarification with an aim to rest the whole row, the Kumaraswamy is in no mood to sit silent but only fuel it further. In a press meet today, Feb 26 Kumaraswamy countered the claims made by the CM.

Kumaraswamy said the CM is concocting the story. "Why CM did not inform this to the public immediately after the issue surface?"

Besides, he suspected that watch might be belonging to a person named Sudhakar Shetty. "Sudhakar Shetty had complained to the police regarding missing watch on 7/5/2015. I suspect the watch could be belonging to that person."

OneIndia News