Minister B. Nagendra resigns, challenges BJP to face him in ‘people’s court’

A visibly emotional B. Nagendra at a press meet before resigning from his post as Planning and Statistics Minister in Bengaluru on Friday. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN After stepping down as Minister in the D.K. Shivakumar-led Congress government, B. Nagendra on Friday challenged the Opposition BJP to face him in a Janata Nyayalaya (people’s court) in the Ballari Rural Reserved (ST) constituency.Maintaining that he had no role in the alleged scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd., Mr. Nagendra said he had also decided to resign as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.To come clean politicallyA visibly emotional Mr. Nagendra appealed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to allow him to contest the Ballari Rural constituency again so that he could “come clean” politically.The BJP and JD(S) have decided to undertake a 10-day padayatra from Raichur to Ballari from September 1, demanding Mr. Nagendra’s resignation over his alleged role in the multi-crore scam.Addressing the media at the State Secretariat, Mr. Nagendra accused the BJP of being “anti-Dalit, anti-Adivasi and anti-minority” and alleged that the party had derailed the entire monsoon session of the Legislature by focusing on the alleged diversion of ST welfare funds.He said the Opposition had prevented the House from discussing pressing issues such asthe drought, the alleged KPSC recruitment scam and the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.Mr. Nagendra questioned why the BJP had remained silent over the alleged diversion of Valmiki Corporation funds through Union Bank of India, which comes under the jurisdiction of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “Just because I became the Minister, I was punished,” he said.He claimed that the Criminal Investigation Department and the Special Investigation Team had conducted a proper investigation and found no role for him in the alleged scam. However, he alleged that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate had hurriedly named him in their chargesheet and sought the governor's sanction for prosecution.Why not HDK?He also questioned why Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had not sanctioned the prosecution of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, which, he said, had been pending for three years. Mr. Nagendra was poing to two cases - one relating to the Jantakal Mining case and the other concerning the denotification of BDA land. He also sought to know if the BJP would seek Mr. Kumaraswamy’s resignation on similar grounds.Referring to an episode in Uttara Kanda of Ramayana where a “lower” caste peson Shambuka is killed for breaking caste barriers and performing rigerous penance, Mr. Nagendra said he was “no Shambuka” and alleged that BJP leaders who espoused the Manusmriti had failed to recognise the political influence of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.Mr. Nagendra said the Constitution had guaranteed freedom and safeguards to Dalits in a democratic system. He said he would tour 15 ST-reserved constituencies and work for the victory of ST candidates in the coming elections.Before announcing his resignation, Mr. Nagendra held discussions with Ministers Ajay Singh and Rizwan Arshad and MPs Nasir Hussain and G.C. Chandrashekar, who accompanied him at the press conference.In the second innings, Mr. Nagendra served as a Minister for just 25 days. He was sworn in on August 3. Earlier, he had resigned in June 2024 over the same issue, relating to his alleged role in the scam. Published - August 29, 2026 12:31 am IST