BENGALURU: Sugar minister Shivanand Patil was the eye of a storm after a video clip emerged showing currency notes being showered on him during a wedding in Hyderabad. It has pushed Congress on the defensive, as the minister is being trolled for being insensitive at a time when Karnataka is reeling under severe drought and farmers are in distress.
BJP functionaries, who posted the video on social media, said the video was three days old and was shot when Patil attended the wedding of the son of a Kalaburagi Congress functionary with the daughter of a gutka businessman in Hyderabad. The video shows Patil sitting on a sofa surrounded by currency notes, including some at his feet while people around him continue to throw money in the air and ‘qawwali singers’ perform.
The notes appeared to be of Rs 500 denomination. “Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil has given a real demonstration of how ministers are enjoying money looted from the people of the state,” Karnataka BJP said in a post on X. Senior BJP MLA CN Ashwath Narayan said: “The minister’s behaviour is not just insensitive but also amounts to a crime. I urge the Telangana government to arrest him.” However, Patil hit back saying, “Even the home minister of Telangana was there.
Taking part in a wedding is not a crime. If people showering money on me, how can I stop them? BJP wants to politicise everything for obvious reasons.” Patil had earlier stirred controversy when he said the number of farmers deaths had increased after the state increased compensation for bereaved families.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.
Start a Conversation
Post comment