'Won’t make even Rs 60 lakh': BJP slams Karnataka govt's Rs 6.5 crore deal with actress

Bengaluru, May 27 As the political slugfest in Karnataka continues over the appointment of popular actress Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador for a state-owned public enterprise, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit on Tuesday criticised the Congress government and said that the latter won't make even Rs 60 lakh profit after paying Rs 6.5 crore to the actress.

The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has appointed Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador for the popular Mysore Sandal soap manufactured by Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL).

The actress has been paid Rs 6.2 crore fee for the advertisement.

The Karnataka government's decision to name Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador for KSDL has stirred a controversy, with Kannada organisations and the BJP raising objections to the move.

Addressing a press conference, State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra in Bengaluru said, "Decisions are made at whims and fancies. The government must clarify whether to rope in heroine Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador serves the interests of the state or the interests of certain politicians."

"There is a discussion going on regarding appointment of brand ambassador to the Mysore Sandal Soap. This matter is not something to be taken lightly; there is a historic decision by the Maharajas behind it dating back to 1916 to start the industry."

The then Maharaja of Mysuru had taken many decisions for the setting up of industries across the state, he added.

"If the state government, simply on the recommendation of a few so-called experts, decides to appoint Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador by spending Rs 6.5 crore, shouldn't the government at least give it some thought?" BJP leader Vijayendra asked the Congress-led state government.

"I challenge those who are paying Rs 6.5 crore to actress Tamannaah Bhatia and make her brand ambassador, let us check the accounts book next year, it wouldn't even be possible to make a profit of Rs 60 lakh in a year. If they are investing Rs 6.5 crore, the state government should at least make a profit of Rs 60 crore," he added.

Asked about selecting actress Tamannaah Bhatia as a model for Mysore Sandal soap, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday said, "I will speak to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Industries Minister M.B. Patil regarding this. A similar discussion took place with regards to bulbs in the past and we had appointed Kannada superstar late Puneet Rajkumar and actress Ramya for it. We are also discussing making cricketer Anil Kumble as an ambassador for the State Forest Department."

The Congress-led government in Karnataka said on Monday that the decision to appoint actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador of KSDL has been made purely on business grounds.

Reacting to the BJP's objections, State Industries Minister M.B. Patil on Monday, said, "In the wake of actress Tamannaah Bhatia being appointed as KSDL's brand ambassador, BJP leaders are making loud statements. But where were these leaders when large-scale scams occurred under the chairmanship of Madal Virupakshappa during the tenure of the BJP government?"

Minister Patil had clarified that the decision to appoint Tamannaah Bhatia as KSDL's brand ambassador was made purely on business grounds.

"An expert committee reviewed several factors before making the decision. Some other celebrities were also considered, but they were under contract with competing brands and therefore could not be selected," he said.

Taking a jibe at State party President Vijayendra and other BJP leaders for their recent statements about preserving the legacy of KSDL, he questioned their silence when the company was plagued by irregularities when the BJP government was in power in Karnataka.

He added that since the Congress government took charge, proactive measures have been taken to streamline KSDL's operations.

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