Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra has tendered his resignation to the Chief Minister. His departure was announced earlier in the day by Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who is also the KPCC President. Nagendra is facing allegations in connection with the multi-crore illegal transfer of funds from the State-run Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.
The BJP Yuva Morcha had held a protest in Mangaluru on Saturday demanding Nagendra’s resignation. In Bengaluru, the BJP also staged a protest march from the Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan for the same reason.
DK Shivakumar told reporters outside the KPCC office, “There is no need for anyone demanding resignation. Me, the Chief Minister and the Home Minister have discussed with Minister Nagendra. He has assured us that he is not involved in anything, but in the interest of the party and the government he is resigning. He doesn’t want to embarrass the party, so he himself offered to resign from the Ministership.
The Chief Minister after discussing with the Congress high command will take a call.”
The case was uncovered after accounts superintendent Chandrashekhar P died by suicide, leaving a death note revealing the unauthorized transfer of ₹187 crore from the Valmiki Corporation’s bank account. ₹88.62 crore was illegally moved to various accounts allegedly belonging to IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank.
After the news broke out about the CBI filing an FIR based on a Union Bank of India complaint, the Chief Minister and Deputy CM reportedly convened a meeting with Nagendra, during which they briefed him on the situation and requested his resignation. Nagendra at a press meet said that he has been assured that he would be reinstated if cleared of the charges.
The Union Bank of India suspended three officials last week and filed a complaint with the CBI alleging embezzlement of public funds at its MG Road branch in Bengaluru. Following this, the State government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), to probe the alleged multi-crore scam.
With inputs from BL intern Vidushi Nautiyal.