<p>Amid political turbulence in Karnataka, Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh has courted a fresh controversy after media reports of former chief minister Siddaramaiah receiving a luxury car from him surfaced.</p>.<p>Denying the reports, Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar said Siddaramaiah has not been gifted Mercedes-Benz car by Suresh, but it had been given for his travelling purposes.</p>.<p>“There is no gift or anything. We sometimes take our friends’ vehicle to travel. There is no issue. Is there any record that he has received a gift or anything? Nothing, no record,” he said.</p>.<p>In June last year, Siddaramaiah was in the eye of a controversy after the then minister K J George allegedly gifted him a Toyota Land Cruiser with fuel coupons for a year.</p>.<p>George, then, had deflected the charges by saying that he had lent the vehicle as Siddaramaiah was uncomfortable travelling long distances in an Innova.</p>.<p>Earlier in February 2016, Siddaramaiah was mired in controversy over a Rs 70 lakh- diamond-studded Hublot watch gifted to him.</p>.<p>He later handed over the watch to then-Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa amid uproar in the Assembly, declaring it a state asset. Both the opposition BJP and JD(S) members had staged a dharna in the well of the House.</p>.<p>Countering the allegations, Siddaramaiah had said that the pre-owned “HUBLOT BIG BANG-301-M” wrist watch was presented to him by his Dubai-based NRI friend Dr Girish Chandra Varma as a personal gift. Siddaramiah also said Varma had no official dealings with the government of Karnataka or its organisations.</p>
<p>Amid political turbulence in Karnataka, Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh has courted a fresh controversy after media reports of former chief minister Siddaramaiah receiving a luxury car from him surfaced.</p>.<p>Denying the reports, Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar said Siddaramaiah has not been gifted Mercedes-Benz car by Suresh, but it had been given for his travelling purposes.</p>.<p>“There is no gift or anything. We sometimes take our friends’ vehicle to travel. There is no issue. Is there any record that he has received a gift or anything? Nothing, no record,” he said.</p>.<p>In June last year, Siddaramaiah was in the eye of a controversy after the then minister K J George allegedly gifted him a Toyota Land Cruiser with fuel coupons for a year.</p>.<p>George, then, had deflected the charges by saying that he had lent the vehicle as Siddaramaiah was uncomfortable travelling long distances in an Innova.</p>.<p>Earlier in February 2016, Siddaramaiah was mired in controversy over a Rs 70 lakh- diamond-studded Hublot watch gifted to him.</p>.<p>He later handed over the watch to then-Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa amid uproar in the Assembly, declaring it a state asset. Both the opposition BJP and JD(S) members had staged a dharna in the well of the House.</p>.<p>Countering the allegations, Siddaramaiah had said that the pre-owned “HUBLOT BIG BANG-301-M” wrist watch was presented to him by his Dubai-based NRI friend Dr Girish Chandra Varma as a personal gift. Siddaramiah also said Varma had no official dealings with the government of Karnataka or its organisations.</p>