Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar Gifts iPhones to State MPs; BJP Calls it Shame of Democracy!
The gift was given to 40 MPs from the state ahead of a crucial meeting that will be held in Delhi in the context to discuss several state-related issues, especially the Cauveri.
A significant controversy took place, on Tuesday, when DK Shivakumar, a Congress Minister in Karnataka government distributed over-expensive iPhones to state MPs as gifts. The Karnataka CM, HD Kumaraswamy, has said that he is unaware of the entire episode and no prior discussion had taken place before its distribution, whereas the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has termed the incident as a ‘shame of democracy’.
A BJP MP from Karnataka, Rajeev Chandrashekhar took to his Twitter account and expressed his displeasure of the gifting-spree. He also accused the chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of double standards and said that he would be returning the gifts. He wrote, “Dear CM of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy, Thank you for convening all MPs tomorrow to discuss Cauvery issue. But why is your government sending expensive phones to MPs? You claim austerity; Pourkarmikas are being denied salaries, but public money used for this kind of expensive gifts? I am returning them to you.”
Read what Rajeev Chandrashekhar, BJP MP from Karnataka, said to Karnataka CM:
Reacting to the episode, CM HD Kumaraswamy said that he did not know who has given it. He said that he had no prior information about this and his office had not decided to provide any such gifts. Talking about will he take any action on the same, Kumaraswamy said that he would be seeking information into the matter and then decide.
However, Minister of Irrigation and Medical Education in the government, Shivakumar said that the gifts were given only as a ‘gesture’ and not as a ‘bribe’. The gift was given to 40 MPs (both from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) from the state ahead of a crucial meeting that will be held in Delhi in the context to discuss several state-related issues, especially the Cauveri.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2018 04:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).