After two days of blame-game by the Opposition BJP and the JD(S), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday handed over his expensive Hublot wrist watch to Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa.
The watch was gifted to Chief Minister last July by his friend Girish Chandra Varma, who is based in Dubai.
The watch would be kept in the Cabinet Hall of the State secretariat.
In his letter to the Speaker, the Chief Minister said, “I, being the Chief Minister of Karnataka, by following the precedents set by the predecessors in office, declare that the gifted watch Hublot Big Bang.301-M as a government asset and hand over this watch to the Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, to forward the same to the Chief Secretary, to place the same in the Cabinet Hall at Vidhana Soudha, on this March 2, 2016.”’
The Chief Minister, who came under attack from other political parties over possessing as expensive wrist watch, said “Dr. Varma gifted me the watch in July last when he visited India. I am a close friend of his since 1983.”
The Opposition created ruckus in both Houses of the State Legislature on the second day on Tuesday over the issue.
While the Council was adjourned for the day soon after the Opposition members trooped into well of the house in the morning, the Assembly was adjourned after the Chief Minister handed over the watch to the Speaker.
