On Monday, BJP leaders, including B Y Vijayendra and R Ashoka, were taken into preventive custody during a protest in Bengaluru. They were attempting to march to the Vidhana Soudha to demand the resignation of Minister B Nagendra. The call for Nagendra’s removal stems from his alleged involvement in the Valmiki Corporation scam, raising serious concerns about accountability within the state government.
“Today, the BJP and JD(S) are fighting as the voice of the Dalits and those who have no voice. Today, you are trying to suppress our protest. The BJP also held a parallel protest at Freedom Park under the leadership of Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, with party leaders and workers raising slogans against the Congress government and demanding Nagendra’s resignation. The CBI subsequently investigated the case and filed a charge sheet in which Nagendra’s name was mentioned. The BJP has cited the charge sheet and a communication from the CBI to the Governor to demand his removal from the cabinet. He was subsequently inducted into the cabinet again after D K Shivakumar became Chief Minister. No one needs to teach us what hooliganism is.
The BJP has said that Nagendra, who had resigned as minister in 2024 following the alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Corporation Ltd, should not have been re-inducted into the cabinet.
At such a time, they (Congress government) are trying to suppress our agitation,” Vijayendra said. Referring to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s statement calling the opposition “hooligans”, Vijayendra said, “Shivakumar, you are the hooligan. The BJP leaders accused the government of protecting those facing corruption allegations and said the agitation would continue until Nagendra was removed from the cabinet.
Nagendra had earlier resigned as minister amid the controversy.
