BJP Alleges Siddaramaiah Received Luxury Watch from Absconder Vijay Eswaran

Bengaluru, May 6: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who had attended the World Economic Forum meeting in China in 2013 had met "declared absconder" Vijay Eswaran there and received an expensive gift from him.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) had declared Eswaran an absconder and still Siddaramaiah met him during his 2013 China visit.

Addressing mediapersons here, he said, "In September 2013, Siddaramaiah went to attend World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in China and there he met Vijay Ishwaran who is an absconder. There was another absconder and Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has called both a national threat."

He alleged that Siddaramaiah had encouraged firm that duped thousands and invited the absconder to invest in Karnataka.

The BJP spokesperson also alleged that Siddaramaiah had received a gift from Eswaran and wondered if it was a premium Hublot watch.

Patra during his press conference posed multiple questions to the Congress and Siddaramaiah and asked Karnataka Chief Minister to give clarification on his alleged meeting with Eswaran.

In September 2013, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had gone to participate in the three-day annual meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum and led a 22-member delegation.