Bengaluru: Amid reports that Karnataka Planning and Statistics Minister, B. Nagendra, has already submitted his resignation, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday said the minister had spoken to him in the morning and would address the media directly on the issue.
It can be noted that BJP and JD(S) have launched continued agitation demanding resignation of Minister Nagendra and have also announced 185 kilometer protest march claiming his role in an alleged tribal welfare scam.
Speaking to reporters at Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru, CM Shivakumar said the matter concerning Nagendra had been left to the party high command and that the minister would explain his position himself.
When asked whether Nagendra had submitted his resignation, CM Shivakumar said, “He spoke to me in the morning. He will speak to the media directly. He will come and talk to you.”
Asked what Nagendra had discussed with him, CM Shivakumar said the minister had described himself as a “disciplined soldier” of the Congress party and expressed his readiness to make any sacrifice for the party.
“He told me that he is a disciplined soldier of the party and that he is ready to do everything for the party. I have left the matter to him. He will speak to you directly,” CM Shivakumar said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the decision regarding Nagendra had been left to the party’s central leadership.
“We have left the matter of Minister B. Nagendra to the high command. I have left it to him and he will speak about it. He has told us that he is ready for all sacrifices for the party,” CM Shivakumar added.
Nagendra is returning to Karnataka from Delhi on Friday. His reported resignation has become a matter of political interest amid the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and related investigations.
The issue had intensified after the BJP demanded action against Nagendra and questioned his continuation in the state Cabinet and disrupted the Monsoon Assembly session. The Speaker had adjourned the house sine die (indefinitely) abruptly following the announcement of overnight protest by the BJP.
With Nagendra expected to return to Karnataka and address the media, his next statement is likely to provide clarity on whether he has formally resigned and what decision has been taken by the party leadership.
The Maharshi Valmiki scam is a financial fraud involving the illegal transfer of public funds meant for tribal welfare in Karnataka. It is alleged that around Rs 89 crore was illegally diverted from welfare accounts of Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited (KMVSTDC). In May 2024, a corporation employee named Chandrasekar. P. died by suicide. He left a note that exposed the unauthorised money transfers.
Then, State Tribal Welfare Minister B. Nagendra resigned and was arrested by the central agency Enforcement Directorate (ED). Multiple agencies, including a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the ED, are investigating the case. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the special investigating agency under the state government has given clean chit to Nagendra.
IANS
