BJP’s Karnataka chief Yeddyurappa returns Rs 1 crore SUV after furore

Yeddyurappa claimed the luxury vehicle had been gifted to him by Murugesh Nirani.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Karnataka chief B.S. Yeddyurappa on Sunday returned the extravagant Rs. one crore SUV to former industries minister Murugesh Nirani after a massive controversy erupted over the luxury vehicle.

The ruling Congress, which had been left embarrassed by a series of scams including Mr Siddaramaiah’s Hublot watch controversy, was quick to seize the opportunity to hit back at the BJP.

A campaign was started in social media on the subject with a post saying, ‘Yeddyurappa has been given a Rs 1 crore luxury car by ex-MLA Murugesh Nirani, whose sugar factory owes crores to farmers’.

In a statement, Yeddyurappa said in his 40 years of political struggle in his life, he has travelled all modes of public transport including cars, widely covering all parts of Karnataka.

"Handling the same state tour in the same manner is not an issue at all for me. Hence I have sent back the car provided by Murugesh Nirani yesterday to his residence," he said.

Yeddyurappa on Saturday said that the SUV, worth Rs. one crore, had been gifted to him by Murugesh Nirani.

When asked why he was using this car to travel across drought-hit Karnataka, Yeddyurappa said these two things should not be compared.