BENGALURU: As the Karnataka government finds itself in deep financial trouble, trying to raise funds for the promised farm loan waivers, irrigation minister and senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar courted controversy by doling out iPhone X to all the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs from the state.

While an iPhone may be a household name, the latest model, one of the most expensive phones in the world, has been "memed" in India for its steep pricing.

However, for Shivakumar, it was a matter of “gesture”.

Earlier in the day, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekar was the first to go public, saying that the state government had given him an iPhone X and a leather bag ahead of the Karnataka MPs' meeting with union ministers on the Cauvery row.

In his tweet, Chandrasekar said: “Dear @CMofKarnataka @hd_kumaraswamy - Thnk u 4 convng all MPs tmrw to discuss Cauvery issue. But why is ur govt sendng expnsve phones to MPs? U claim Austerity; pourkarmikas r being denied salaries, but pub money used 4 ths kind of expnsve gifts? I m returng thm to u.”

The MP followed it up with a detailed letter to Kumaraswamy questioning the same and urged him to not “misspend” the public money.

“Instead I urge you to pay the salaries of Pourakarmikas who tirelessly work to keep our city clean and focus on real austerity so that public money can be invested in those in need in our state,” he said.

However, Shivakumar, reacting to the controversy said the iPhones were not from the state exchequer but from his own pocket.

“.. No public..no excheuqer. From the government, the MPs were only given a bag with the Cauvery issue related papers. The iPhone was my personal gesture to the MPs,” he said.

The irrigation minister went on to defend the “gesture” citing that there are several issues related to Cauvery which the MPs require to access online and upload data.

“There needs to be an access to technology. The gadget was given to them as a gesture, for they are fighting our battle in the Parliament,” he said.

The irrigation minister, who has been consistently in news for the repeated I-T raids on him over the last one year, said several of the MPs had even called to thank him.

“Even BJP MPs, I will not name who, have called me up and thanked me for the iPhone. It is not a bribe which is given to them,” he said.

However, the BJP has denied that they will accept the “gesture”.

“The party has taken a stance on the matter and decided to not accept the iPhone X which has been given to the MPs. With the farmers in distress across the state, such expensive gifts reflects poorly on both the person offering and the person accepting it,” said party joint spokesperson A H Anand.

The BJP has said all its 21 MPs, 15 from the Lok Sabha (B S Yeddyurappa and B Sreeramulu have resigned) and three Rajya Sabha MPs will return the phones.

Earlier, Shivakumar said the model was worth not more than Rs 50,000 vis-a-vis Chandrasekar's claims of it being a Rs one lakh model. The present rates for the iPhone X is Rs 99,999 for the 256 GB and Rs 90,000 for the 64 GB model.

“Previously also, when I was the power minister I had given iPads to the MPs. Hang me, if I have done anything wrong. We are not stealing from someone and given it to them,” he said.

