Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar said Minister B Nagendra resigned as a “loyal worker” to prevent embarrassment to Congress. Shivakumar defended Nagendra as “innocent,” while the BJP welcomed the move but termed the former minister a “scapegoat” in a scam.
CM Shivakumar Defends Nagendra
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said the resignation of state Minister B Nagendra was not reflective of “government bowing down”, but it has been taken by a “loyal worker” and “loyal leader” to prevent embarrassment to Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said Nagendra had informed him about his decision to resign and was expected to meet him. “The government has not bowed down. It is a decision taken by a loyal worker, a loyal leader of the party, so that the party should not be embarrassed. He called me and told me. He is waiting to meet me. He must be in the Krishna office, probably. He called and said he is at home or somewhere in Krishna; I will be there. You yourself just informed me that he has just announced it. I also got a phone call. I will meet him,” Shivakumar said.
The Karnataka CM said Nagendra had decided to resign not only as a minister but also as an MLA, adding that the controversy had deeply affected him. “He has taken a decision that he will resign not only from the Minister post but also from the MLA post. It has hurt his mind a lot. Because he is an innocent person,” Shivakumar said.
The Chief Minister said he had examined the reports and discussed the matter with various people before concluding that Nagendra had been unfairly portrayed as a criminal. “I have verified it, I have seen all the reports, I have discussed with everyone. So to put him in the position of a criminal, the way BJP has treated a Dalit who has won four times. It is not just hurting him; it is hurting the entire community, the poor people; everyone is hurt today,” he said.
BJP Welcomes Resignation, Alleges ‘Scapegoat’
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy welcomed Nagendra’s resignation, but alleged that the former minister had been made a “scapegoat” by the Congress. “It is a welcome move by Nagendra. Actually, he is a scapegoat. Congress has made him a scapegoat. The problem is that Rs 187 crore has been misused in Valmiki Nigam. The person responsible is B. Nagendra, as he is a minister. He went to jail for it, and no clean chit has been given by the court. They immediately took him back into the ministry,” he said.
On whether the BJP would continue with its proposed padayatra, Narayanaswamy said the party leadership would take a decision. “Our president and all the core committee members will decide whether to have a padayatra or not,” he said.
BJP MLC and Opposition Chief Whip in the Karnataka Legislative Council N Ravi Kumar also welcomed Nagendra’s resignation and questioned his re-induction into the Cabinet despite the allegations. “Whoever did wrong has to resign and he resigned. The BJP welcomes this. Why did he get a cabinet when there were allegations against him?. Rs 187 crore was illegally sent to 648 accounts in Telangana. We started an agitation as soon as this matter came to light,” he said.
Ravi Kumar also questioned the Congress government’s handling of the issue and Nagendra’s re-induction into the Cabinet. “What did the Congress do? The then CM Siddaramaiah said it wasn’t Rs 187 crore but Rs 89 crore. Nagendra resigned at that time. But why was he made a minister again?” he said.
Karnataka BJP spokesperson Prakash Sesharaghavachar said Nagendra’s resignation was a victory for the state BJP and claimed that the BJP’s protests during the Assembly session had forced the government to act. “Nagendra has resigned after facing allegations of Rs 187 crore misappropriation in ST Corporation. He was re-inducted into the cabinet. BJP, in the last session, did not allow the proceedings to happen until Nagendra resigned. Now that the Govt has yielded to BJP’s demands, it is a big victory for the State BJP. Corrupt shall not find a place in the cabinet and those who have looted public money will not be spared by the BJP,” he added.
BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginkai also welcomed Nagendra’s resignation and said the party had protested against his re-induction throughout the Assembly session. “We welcome his resignation. When the session commenced and until it ended, BJP protested against it. He resigned because he was directly responsible for the Rs 187 Crore scam. Whoever siphoned off the funds for Dalits, should be investigated into and put behind bars,” he said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)