Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 6: With just a week to go for Karnataka elections, the BJP on Sunday May 6 made allegations against chief minister Siddaramaiah that he met 'declared absconder' Vijay Esrwaran at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in China in September 2013.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra posed five questions to Siddaramaiah regarding his alleged meeting with Vijay Eswaran.
Addressing a press meet in Bengaluru, Patra alleged that the CM invited Eswaran to invest in Karnataka and was also given a gift.
"The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) had declared Vijay Eswaran an absconder, yet the CM met him," he alleged.
Patra, showing media a photograph of the meeting as evidence, asked Siddaramaiah to answer the following questions and make his stand clear.
1) Do you know Eswaran and about the fact that he is declared an absconder?
2) Did you meet Eswaran in China in 2013?
3) What was the gift you received from Eswaran?
4) Was the gift a premium Hublot watch?
5) Have you declared the gift in your assets.
Patra has demanded that if CM does not answer the queries, then Rahul Gandhi has to clarify the matter.
The BJP posted a video of the press conference on Twitter and tweeted "In Sept 2013, Siddaramaiah went to attend WEF meeting in China and there he met Vijay Ishwaran who is an absconder. There was another absconder and SFIO has called both a national threat : Dr. @sambitswaraj #SiddaExposed.”
Patra’s allegations could come in the backdrop of Congress attacking PM Modi for being pictured with Nirav Modi in Davos during the World Economic Forum 2018. The ministry of external affairs had clarified that PM Modi had not interacted with Nirav Modi in Davos.