HD Kumaraswamy has proof' of Siddaramaiah's watch and goggles

BENGALURU: The row between state JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy and CM Siddaramaiah over the latter’s expensive wrist watch and sunglasses refuses to fizzle out with the former chief minister describing details of the wrist watch reportedly worth Rs 50 lakhs, and goggles between Rs1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakhs.

Last week, Mr Siddaramaiah had dismissed Mr Kumaraswamy’s allegations as being in bad taste while retorting how the JD(S) leader gifted his son an imported car worth Rs 5 crores. He went a step further and offered to sell his watch and sunglasses at a fair in Mysuru. 

On Tuesday, Mr Kumaraswamy said he received a video clipping of a wedding reception where Mr Siddaramaiah was seen using an international brand watch worth around Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 70 lakhs.

“I do not have any objection if Mr Siddaramaiah wears such expensive watches but he should not claim that he is a Samajvadi and a follower of Ram Manohar Lohia, a great socialist, and a person having concern for the poor and downtrodden,” he added.

The former CM claimed that Mr Siddaramaiah had stopped using the sunglasses after he disclosed its cost. Mr Kumaraswamy criticized Mr Siddaramaiah for attacking JD(S) leaders while missing the fact that he once belonged to the same party.

“I want Mr Siddaramaiah to introspect before making such comments in future,” he added. When his attention was drawn to the CM’s offer to sell his watch for Rs 5 lakhs and goggles for Rs 10,000, Mr Kumaraswamy retorted “I’m not a scrap dealer to buy second hand things from him.”