B. Nagendra, Karnataka’s Planning and Statistics Minister, submitted his resignation on Friday to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, saying he would step down to shield the Congress party from embarrassment over the alleged Valmiki tribal welfare corporation scam.
Speaking at a joint press conference inside Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, the minister appeared emotional but insisted on his innocence. Shivakumar had reportedly assured Nagendra that he was “innocent at all levels,” yet Nagendra chose to resign voluntarily to protect the party’s image.
He accused the BJP and other opposition parties of deliberately derailing the Assembly session, preventing debates on critical issues such as the drought, the Cauvery water dispute, the KPSC recruitment controversy and the Kasturirangan report. Nagendra claimed the opposition aimed to resurrect Manusmriti‑like discrimination, invoking the Constitution and the ideals of B.R. Ambedkar as the guiding framework of modern India.
Referencing the Ramayana episode of Shambuka, Nagendra warned that caste‑based oppression cannot reappear when constitutional safeguards exist. He alleged that the BJP seeks to restrict Dalits, Adivasis, women, Shudras and minorities from independent lives and leadership roles.
The minister also criticised the BJP‑led padayatra, stating it lacked a substantive agenda and merely tried to paint the Valmiki Corporation issue as a scam. He highlighted that multiple investigations, including a Special Investigation Team and the CID, had already examined the matter and cleared him of wrongdoing.
Nagendra recounted his three‑month detention by the Enforcement Directorate, his subsequent bail, and his exclusion from the first chargesheet – his name appeared only in the second. He questioned whether any financial loss could be linked to him, asking, “Have I signed anywhere? Have I issued any order? Have you recovered even one rupee from me?”
Turning the spotlight to the centre, he asked why Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had not resigned, noting that Union Bank of India falls under her ministry. Closing his remarks, Nagendra wondered if his targeting stemmed from his Dalit or Adivasi identity.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News