BJP Protests in Karnataka Assembly, Demands Minister Nagendra Resignation

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed a noisy start on Monday as BJP and JDS legislators protested against the continued presence of Minister B Nagendra in the state cabinet. The opposition demanded his immediate resignation over allegations linked to financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

The disruption began soon after Speaker GS Patil attempted to start the Question Hour. Opposition members raised the Nagendra issue and questioned how they could participate in proceedings while a minister facing serious allegations remained in the cabinet.

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka insisted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should remove Nagendra immediately. He said the opposition would not allow normal proceedings to continue until action was taken against the minister.

BJP MLA Sunil Kumar also opposed any attempt to move ahead with the scheduled business without addressing the issue. According to the opposition, the allegations against Nagendra are serious enough to warrant his removal rather than another discussion in the House.

The controversy relates to alleged misuse of funds in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Nagendra had previously resigned from the Siddaramaiah cabinet following the allegations. He was later brought back into the cabinet on August 3 under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and currently holds the Planning and Statistics portfolio.

Ashoka questioned why Nagendra had been brought back into the government after his earlier resignation. He also referred to investigations and allegations involving central agencies while demanding accountability from the government.

The ruling Congress members rejected the opposition’s approach, arguing that the issue was being raised without prior notice and that the House should not lose valuable time over allegations that had not been formally listed for discussion.

Minister Krishna Byre Gowda accused the opposition of wasting Assembly time by making allegations without following the required procedure. Speaker GS Patil repeatedly appealed to BJP and JDS members to allow the Question Hour to continue.

When the protests did not stop, the Speaker adjourned the House briefly. Proceedings remained tense after the Assembly reconvened, with opposition legislators continuing their protest from their seats.

The Speaker later said discussions could be arranged if the opposition submitted the necessary notice. He indicated that the government could respond to the allegations during such a discussion.

The opposition, however, maintained that a debate alone would not resolve the matter. Ashoka said he was prepared for a discussion but argued that Nagendra should not remain a minister while the issue was being debated.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara defended the government’s position by pointing to subsequent developments following Nagendra’s earlier resignation. He also noted that Nagendra had later been sworn in as a minister by the Governor, the constitutional head of the state.

The confrontation eventually broadened into a debate over other issues that the Assembly needed to address, with the Speaker urging members to allow discussions on matters such as the state’s drought situation.