Barely 25 days after being inducted into the cabinet of new Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra announced his resignation on Friday. This decision follows a sustained campaign by the BJP for his exit due to a CBI chargesheet filed against him in an alleged corruption case.
Resignation Announcement
During a press conference at the Vidhana Soudha, a visibly emotional Nagendra accused the BJP of orchestrating his exit due to the party’s ‘anti-tribal mindset’. He stated,
“"I will be submitting my resignation to the chief minister. The BJP has painted me guilty because I belong to a backward tribal community… I would not like to cause embarrassment to my party and leaders and have decided to submit my resignation on my own."
Nagendra further claimed that during the session, the Congress had asked the BJP to discuss the allegations against him, but the BJP refused, stating,
“"There is no proof. It is an anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP. I am being attacked just because I am Dalit. The Manuvadis will not allow people like me to grow in politics."
Context of Resignation
His resignation comes after Governor Thawarchand Gehlot granted sanction for the prosecution of Nagendra by the CBI. This is in connection with an alleged misappropriation of funds from the Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation during his tenure as the ST welfare minister in 2023-24. Nagendra expressed his resignation as a sign of respect for the constitutional office of the Governor, stating,
“"The sanction has been granted selectively even as the sanction for prosecution of leaders of the opposition has not been granted for over three years in some cases."
