Will Hand It Over, Says Siddaramaiah On 'Rs 70 Lakh' Watch Controversy

Bengaluru: Drawn into a storm over being spotted with a luxury watch allegedly worth Rs 70 lakh, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said he will not wear it.

"I will not wear the watch which was gifted to me. I will hand it over to the government to preserve it as a state asset. I will also pay gift tax on the watch," he said.

The controversy had flared last week after Janata Dal Secular's HD Kumaraswamy said the timepiece, seen on the wrist of Siddaramaiah, cost the whopping amount. That this was in a state which has seen a good amount of farmer distress in recent months only added to the woes.

Time and again, the chief minister found himself needing to explain that the watch was a gift - but that was not enough for his political detractors.
 
Finally answering the questions today, the chief minister said it was a gift from a friend he had known since 1983 - a doctor working in Dubai, who handed over the watch he was wearing when Siddaramaiah admired it.

The Chief Minister says he never asked or knew the value of the watch. On February 22 the friend has given an affidavit saying the watch cost 75,000 dirhams.

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But the BJP in the state has already approached the Enforcement Directorate on the issue - and state party chief, Prahlad Joshi, indicated that he may raise the issue in Parliament.

On the defensive, the chief minister's supporters, like Congress leader and film actor, Ramya, have pointed in turn to Kumaraswamy's own evident wealth.

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But now that the will the burden of the gift now ease off on the chief minister? One cannot resist that cliche - only time will tell.