BENGALURU: While Karnataka CM
H D Kumaraswamy has declared 'austerity' as the byword for his government, his water resources minister DK Shivakumar made a big splash on Tuesday by gifting iPhones worth Rs 1 lakh each to 38
Karnataka MPs. The occasion: distribution of a dossier on the Cauvery issue for a meeting in Delhi.
The iPhoneXs were gifted to 26 Lok Sabha MPs (excluding BS Yeddyurappa and B Sriramulu who have resigned) and 12 Rajya Sabha members. The MPs also got a leather bag worth around Rs 5,000. Eighteen BJP MPs refused the expensive gifts and asked the government to practise "real austerity". The CM’s austerity measures include cutting down on purchase of new cars for ministers and taxing fuel and power to fund his Rs 44,700-crore
farm loan waiver package, among others.
The largesse came to light after BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted, "Dear @CMofKarnataka @hd_kumaraswamy — Thnk u 4 convng all MPs tmrw to discuss Cauvery issue. But why is ur govt sendng expnsve phones to MPs? U claim Austerity; pourkarmikas r being denied salaries, but pub money used 4 ths kind of expnsve gifts? I m returng thm to u." He followed it up with a letter to Kumaraswamy, urging him not to "misspend" public money.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar dismissed allegations that the water resources department had picked up the tab for the iPhones. "From the government, the MPs were only given a bag with papers related to the Cauvery issue. The iPhone was my personal gesture to the MPs," he said.
Kumaraswamy, who is in Delhi and has convened a meeting of all Karnataka MPs to discuss the Cauvery issue on Thursday, said: "My minister has already clarified that he has given it (iPhone) in his own capacity and not out of the state exchequer’s money."
CM H D Kumaraswamy (File photo)
