'Bought With My Money': DK Shivakumar Refutes Media Reports Claiming Silver Ganesha Idol Given To PM Modi Was Purchased By BJP MLA

Bengaluru, August 12: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday issued clarification over the claims that the Ganesha Idol which was gifted by to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not purchased by him. He shared a post on his social media account and cleared the air, stating that the silver Ganesha idol was bought by him.

There were reports circulating on media and social media claiming that the idol was bought by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA M. Krishnappa. The Ganesha Idol was pressented by Shivakumar to PM Modi during the inauguration of the Metro Yellow Line in Bengaluru on August 10. However, DK Shivakumar said that the reports are far from truth and the statue was purchased with his own money.

DK Shivakumar said in the post, "I haven’t come to the sorry state of giving someone else’s gift to another person! The silver Ganesha idol presented with congratulations to Prime Minister Modi at the inauguration ceremony of the Metro Yellow Line between RV Road and Bommasandra in Bengaluru was my own."

He also said, "The media and social media reports claiming that the idol I presented to the Prime Minister on that day was brought by BJP MLA M. Krishnappa are far from the truth and completely false. That idol was purchased with my own money. No departmental funds were used for it either. I brought it from home, had it checked by the SPG through office staff, and it was given to the Prime Minister."

He shared another post and said, "It has been brought to my notice that a certain news agency has spread fake news claiming that the Silver Ganesha Idol I gifted to PM Shri Narendra Modi was not bought by me, but by a BJP MLA. This is far from the truth. The idol was bought by me, tested by the SPG, and then gifted to the PM."

He also said, "In this era where misinformation spreads faster than authentic information, I urge everyone to verify facts before believing or sharing them."