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The Congress MLA alleged that Kumaraswamy wore around 62 to 64 luxury watches while serving as Chief Minister.
Eshwar alleged that Kumaraswamy had worn dozens of expensive luxury watches during his tenure as Chief Minister and accused him of portraying a misleading image by now sporting an HMT watch.
A recent video of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy proudly displaying his HMT watch has triggered a political controversy in Karnataka, with Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar questioning the JD(S) leader’s attempt to project a simple lifestyle.
Speaking to reporters, Eshwar alleged that Kumaraswamy had worn dozens of expensive luxury watches during his tenure as Chief Minister and accused him of portraying a misleading image by now sporting an HMT watch.
“It is worth hundreds of crores. How did you buy these 32 acres? That is my first question. What is the source of funding for buying 32 acres of very prime land in Bengaluru? It is worth somewhere between Rs 8 crore and Rs 10 crore per acre, and the total value runs into hundreds of crores,” Eshwar said.
The Congress MLA further alleged that Kumaraswamy wore around 62 to 64 luxury watches while serving as Chief Minister.
“The watch prices start from Rs 10 lakh and go up to Rs 75 lakh. Does Kumaraswamy have the guts to answer this? As an MLA of Karnataka, my basic questions to all BJP leaders and the former Chief Minister are: please answer these questions,” he said.
Eshwar claimed he had compiled photographs of the different watches Kumaraswamy allegedly wore during his tenure as Chief Minister, arguing that the Union Minister’s current choice of an HMT watch does not reflect his past lifestyle.
He also revived an earlier political dispute over Kumaraswamy’s land holdings. Referring to previous questions raised by the JD(S) leader about the funding of his trust, Eshwar alleged that when he sought an explanation for how Kumaraswamy acquired 32 acres of land, the former Chief Minister declined to answer and instead threw the documents back at him.
Siddaramaiah’s Hublot Watch Row Revisited
The controversy has revived memories of a similar political storm involving former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in 2016.
The BJP and JD(S), then in the Opposition, accused Siddaramaiah of hypocrisy after he was seen wearing a diamond-studded Hublot watch reportedly worth around Rs 70 lakh.
Opposition leaders questioned how a self-proclaimed socialist could own such an expensive luxury watch. The issue sparked heated exchanges in the Karnataka Assembly, following which Siddaramaiah handed over the watch to the state treasury for safekeeping.
About the Author
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
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