Days Away From Assembly Session, Siddaramaiah Caught Wearing Expensive Watch

BENGALURU: Days ahead of winter session of Assembly in Belagavi starting from December 8, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was caught wearing an expensive Santos de Cartier watch reportedly costing Rs 43, 20, 000 during his breakfast meeting with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in Bengaluru on Tuesday came under criticism from the main opposition party- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

BJP criticised the Chief Minister over flaunting an expensive Santos de Cartier watch at a time when people of Karnataka struggle with drought and crumbling infrastructure. BJP, referring to the Hublot watch case of Siddaramaiah in 2016, stated “The brand changes (from Hublot to Santos de Cartier)” and said “The socialism remains expensive.”

Siddaramaiah was in a similar situation prevailed in 2016 over wearing an expensive Hublot watch reportedly gifted to him by one of his long-time friends, a doctor based in Dubai, just days before the Assembly session in February.

Then Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister, was caught in a political row after he was found wearing an expensive Hublot watch and later he had to hand the watch to the Assembly Secretariat by declaring it a State asset. Then Siddaramaiah clarified the Hublot watch was gifted to him by one of his long-time friends based in Dubai, a doctor by profession.

The expensive Hublot watch valued in the market was tagged reportedly at Rs 70, 00, 000 then and under criticism from various quarters then, Siddaramaiah handed the Hublot watch to the Assembly Secretariat after he declared the expensive watch as a State asset. The luxury Hublot watch was handed over to the Secretariat Treasury after several debates on the floor of the Assembly.

Coming to the defense of Siddaramaiah over his Santos de Cartier watch, D.K. Shivakumar stated “I don’t know about the criticism against Siddaramaiah over wearing Santos de Cartier watch but he is free to wear a watch of his liking.”