Karnataka Congress protests against BJP over disruption of assembly proceedings

Karnataka Congress MLAs and MLCs staged a protest against the BJP on Friday, accusing the Opposition party of repeatedly disrupting assembly proceedings over its demand for the resignation of planning and statistics minister B. Nagendra.

The legislators assembled near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises in Bengaluru, carrying placards and raising slogans against the BJP. Nagendra, who faces allegations in connection with the tribal welfare scam, also participated in the demonstration.

Congress members alleged that the BJP lacked the moral authority to demand Nagendra’s resignation, claiming that some leaders from the Opposition party had themselves faced accusations involving the theft of temple valuables.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president and MLC B.K. Hariprasad said the disruptions were preventing the legislature from discussing drought relief, drinking water shortages and other pressing concerns.

He said relief operations were under way in 18 districts and claimed that residents in several areas were struggling to obtain drinking water. According to Hariprasad, chief minister D.K. Shivakumar had met MPs from all parties and urged them to seek the release of Rs 10,000 crore in drought assistance from the Centre.

“The Opposition is scared of a discussion because it fears criticism of the Centre. They want to divert attention from everything,” Hariprasad alleged.

He said the government was prepared to debate the allegations against Nagendra and would present material to argue that the minister had no involvement in the alleged scam.

Hariprasad accused the BJP of applying double standards, questioning whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union home minister Amit Shah would resign merely because allegations had been made against them.

He claimed that the BJP’s protests were intended to prevent scrutiny of the Centre over the pending drought assistance. The assembly session would continue until 27 August, he added.

Home, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge also questioned the BJP’s authority to demand Nagendra’s removal before the completion of the legal process.

“Has the BJP become the Supreme Court or the high court by itself? Is it the Lokayukta?” Kharge asked, accusing the party of remaining silent about leaders within its own ranks who had faced cases or Lokayukta action.

Kharge claimed that Nagendra had not been named by the Criminal Investigation Department but had appeared in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s second chargesheet. He alleged that the development was politically motivated by the Centre.

Nagendra, meanwhile, accused the BJP of targeting him because it could not accept a Dalit leader holding a ministerial position.

He said the Congress government and the chief minister had repeatedly invited the Opposition for a discussion, but the BJP had continued to insist on his resignation.

Nagendra also disputed the BJP’s claims regarding the scale of the alleged scam, saying that the money in question had been recovered and that the Special Investigation Team had cleared him of wrongdoing.

The minister acknowledged that he was on bail in cases being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI but maintained that he had not been convicted.

“I have faced allegations and have come out clean in court,” Nagendra said, questioning why he should resign when other political leaders facing cases had continued in office after securing bail.

With IANS inputs