Mysuru: Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making “personal attacks”, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday attacked BJP leaders for again bringing up the Hublot watch issue to target him and claimed they were doing so out of fear of losing the May 12 Assembly elections.

A gifted diamond-studded Hublot watch estimated to be worth Rs 70 lakhs had sparked a controversy in 2016 when the BJP cornered the Karnataka chief minister for taking the costly gift from an entrepreneur. Mr Siddaramaiah had later declared it a state property and handed it over to the Assembly speaker.

“Let them explain who gifted a Rs 15 lakhs worth blazer (coat) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Has he paid the tax for that? And has he paid the tax for the auction of his coat?” the chief minister said.