BJP Karnataka Minister gifts cash, gold, silver to local body members

Controversies continue to plague Karnataka Ministers belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After the slapping of a woman by Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister V Somanna, of BJP, going viral, now it is the turn of Tourism Minister Anand Singh.

Singh has sent expensive gifts to members of local self-government bodies in his constituency.

Singh distributed two types of gift boxes, one for elected representatives of Municipal Corporation and the other for gram panchayat members. Photographs of the boxes have gone viral on social media.

The box presented to Municipal Corporation members contains Rs 1 lakh cash, 144 gm of gold, 1 kg of silver, a silk saree, a dhoti and a dry fruit box, while the box presented to gram panchayat members has the same items, but without gold and less amount of cash.

Singh has been elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Hosapete constituency, which has 35 elected and five nominated members. The constituency has 10 gram panchayats with 182 elected members.

Not all the elected members accepted the gift and those who refused to accept the gifts, alleged that it is an attempt to influence them in the light of the ensuing Assembly elections.

While Singh is silent on the controversy, his supporters have claimed that Singh is in the habit of sending gifts during Ganesh festival and Diwali.

Singh has 15 criminal cases against him and is facing trial in cases related to encroachment of forest and illegal mining. He was arrested in an illegal iron ore mining case in 2015 in Belekeri. ​​​​​​​