Siddaramaiah hands over gifted watch to Assembly Speaker

March 2, 2016

Bengaluru, Mar 2: Mired in a controversy over a luxury watch gifted to him, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today handed it over to the Speaker amid uproar in the state Assembly, declaring it a state asset.

cm 1

As the Assembly was rocked by the controversy for the second consecutive day, an angry Siddaramaiah gave the watch and a letter to Speaker Kagodu Thimappa as BJP and JDS members continued to stage a dharna in the well of the House.

Siddaramaiah's dramatic gesture came when the House reassembled after two adjournments with BJP and JDS persisting with their demand for a discussion on the issue.

The Chief Minister said in the letter to the Speaker, who read it out, that he had paid "advance tax" for the watch.

"I, being the Chief Minister of Karnataka, by following the precedents set by my predecessors in Office, declare that the gifted watch HUBLOT BIG BANG.301-M as government asset...," Siddaramaiah said.

He requested the Speaker to forward the watch to the Chief Secretary to place it in the Cabinet Hall at Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, today.

"I, being a law abiding citizen, have paid the tax on the said gifted watch as advance tax on this day of 2nd March 2016," the letter said.

He 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 has no official dealings with Government of Karnataka or its organisations.

Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar dismissed Siddaramaiah's action as "high drama" and said he was doing so thinking that the controversy would end.

A high-level probe by a central agency should be conducted, he said.

The Chief Minister is in the eye of a storm over the diamond-studded watch.

As controversy erupted, he declared last week that the watch, claimed to be worth Rs 70 lakh, would be declared as state asset and handed over to the government.

As the Assembly met for the day, BJP members entered the well of the House and demanded that a discussion on the issue be allowed and Speaker should reconsider his decision on not allowing an adjournment motion on the issue.

However, Thimmappa, who yesterday rejected BJP's appeal to allow adjournment motion, stuck to his decision.

Following this, BJP continued its protest, stating that affidavit, documents and receipt relating to the watch had to be made public by Verma, who is said to have gifted it.

As both opposition and treasury benches were involved in war of words, the House was adjourned by the Speaker who called the floor leaders for a meeting.

When the House reassembled, opposition members again entered the well and demanded a discussion.

Amidst sloganeering and protest by opposition, the Speaker even allowed introduction and passage of Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pension and Allowances (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, aimed at making provision to provide family pension to family members of the member deceased before December 26, 1978 operative from February 22, 2014.

As the protest continued, the Speaker once gain adjourned the House till afternoon.

cm 2

cm 3

cm 4

cm 5

Comments

Rikaz
 - 
Thursday, 3 Mar 2016

He should have kept it with him....who cares....why the hell kumarswami cares...if you go and dig KS home...you will find crores of corrupt money in his home....

suleman
 - 
Wednesday, 2 Mar 2016

If that is the Genuine Hublot Bigbang, I bet that is worth Rs. 30 Lakhs.
Any way for Reddy brothers and Kumaraswamy that is peanut.

Rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 2 Mar 2016

Why did he give it to State...it was a gift for him...strange...opposition do do not have any other issue to screw him....common guy its a watch...why on the hell you guys stopping proceedings...wasting tax payers money...

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 3,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu has said that a medical team is monitoring the health condition of all those people who had stayed with the coronavirus-hit techie who is admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

The first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Telangana was reported from Hyderabad on Monday where a man from Bengaluru, who recently returned from Dubai, tested positive for the virus.

"It has come to our knowledge that the coronavirus-hit person in Hyderabad had gone from Bengaluru. Therefore, all the members in the house where he had stayed here have been identified and are under watch," Mr Sriramulu tweeted on late Monday night.

The minister said he has convened a meeting with the additional chief secretary, commissioner and other senior officials of the health department today.

"Our government has initiated all the measures to prevent the spread of this virus," the minister said.

It is learnt that the 24-year-old techie had not contracted it when he was in Bengaluru but all precautionary measures have been taken.

The software engineer, who works in Bengaluru, had worked with people from Hong Kong in Dubai last month where he is suspected to have contracted the virus, Telangana health minister E Rajender told reporters in Hyderabad.

The man reached Bengaluru on February 19/20 and later went to Hyderabad in a bus.

He took treatment for fever after coming to Hyderabad and was admitted to a private super speciality hospital in the city. As it did not subside, he came to the state-run Gandhi hospital on Sunday evening, Mr Rajender said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
July 10,2020

Mangaluru, July 10: Five people including four policemen suffered injuries following a clash at Melkar in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district last night.

Abdul Salam, 29, a resident of Goltamajalu near Kalladka, was arrested on charge of attacking policemen. He was also attacked by the cops on the spot. Currently he is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

According to sources, Abdul Salam and another person were quarrelling with lorry drivers on the highway. A couple of policemen including ASI Shailesh, who were on patrol, intervened.

This led to a clash between cops and Abdul Salam, who reportedly snatched the baton from a cop and hit the men in khaki, eye witnesses said.

However, police sources claimed that Abdul Salam was holding an iron road and he thrashed policemen with the rod.

Meanwhile, more policemen reached the spot and thrashed the accused before arresting him.

Police sources said ASI Shailesh, HC Devappa and PCs Niranjan and Malik were injured in the incident. The policemen were treated the government hospital in Bantwal.

Abdul Salam, who suffered critical injuries, was taken to a private hospital in Mangaluru after preliminary treatment.

A case was registered against him in the Bantwal Town Police Station under section 353, 504, 506, 332, 307, 427 IPC, and 2 A Karnataka Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act.

Comments

Angry Indian
 - 
Sunday, 12 Jul 2020

All police are not truthful people and they dont have rights to hit any civilian, they are not protecting any citizen they only serve politicians

 

Wellwisher
 - 
Friday, 10 Jul 2020

A man made polarized untruth story by ?

Trust and always believe with creators justice based on facts. Hope real culprit will punished by the creator very soon.

Long live mankind

 

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
February 5,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 5: B S Yediyurappa-led Karnataka cabinet has finally decided to resume supply of subsidised rice and wheat to students of welfare institutions and hostels including those run by religious mutts under the Dasoha Scheme’s welfare programme. The supply was stopped over two months ago.

“Cabinet has decided to continue supply of subsidised foodgrains (rice and wheat) for the benefit of 37,700 children under the Dasoha scheme in 351 welfare institutions for the next one year at the cost of Rs 18 crore,” said J C Madhuswamy, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Under this scheme, institutions that provide free accommodation and food for students are entitled to avail 10 kg rice and 5 kg wheat per student every month at subsidised rates. But following a central government directive in November, the state government had stopped supply to private institutions since December.

Hours before the cabinet meeting, Khader addressed a press conference and said, “This government is snatching away food from children by stalling the supply of foodgrains. Institutions like Suttur Mutt, Siddaganga Mutt that have worldwide fame for their service are being inconvenienced by this,” Khader said.

Finding itself in a fix, especially in a matter that involves mutts, the cabinet was quick to restore the supply. “Foodgrains were being supplied to 183 government-run institutions and 281 institutions run by private entities. As per a central government directive, supply to private institutions was stopped but the decision was made by the previous government,” Shashikala Jolle, Women and Child Development Minister, said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.