BENGALURU: BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, LoP R Ashoka and several other party leaders were taken into preventive custody on Monday while marching towards Vidhana Soudha, demanding the resignation of minister B Nagendra from the Karnataka cabinet over his alleged connection with the Valmiki Corporation scam, according to news agency PTI.The BJP and its ally JD(S) had mobilised a large number of workers for the protest, with supporters arriving from different parts of Bengaluru and nearby areas.Police had barricaded the Vidhana Soudha and deployed personnel at its entrances to prevent the protesters from entering the premises.The protesters, led by BJP leaders including MLCs N Ravikumar and C T Ravi, tried to approach Vidhana Soudha through the Vikas Soudha gate. The attempt resulted in pushing and jostling between the protesters and police. Several protesters were detained, while a BMTC bus was kept ready to transport those taken into custody.The BJP also organised a separate protest at Freedom Park, led by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy. BJP leaders and workers raised slogans against the Congress government and demanded Nagendra’s resignation.The BJP has maintained that Nagendra should not have been brought back into the cabinet after he resigned as minister in 2024 following allegations of irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Corporation Ltd.The alleged scam came to light after funds belonging to the corporation were reportedly transferred to multiple bank accounts. The issue gained wider attention after P Chandrasekharan, the corporation’s accounts superintendent, died by suicide and a note was recovered.The CBI later investigated the case and filed a charge sheet in which Nagendra’s name was mentioned. The BJP has cited the charge sheet and a communication sent by the CBI to the Governor while demanding Nagendra’s removal from the cabinet.Nagendra had resigned as minister amid the controversy but was later re-inducted into the cabinet after D K Shivakumar became chief minister.Addressing protesters, Vijayendra accused the Congress government of “trying to suppress” the BJP’s agitation and criticised Shivakumar for referring to the protesters as “goondas”.“Today, the BJP and JD(S) are fighting as the voice of the Dalits and those who have no voice. At such a time, they (Congress government) are trying to suppress our agitation,” Vijayendra said.Reacting to chief minister D K Shivakumar’s remarks describing the opposition as “hooligans”, Vijayendra said, “Shivakumar, you are the hooligan. No one needs to teach us what hooliganism is. Today, you are trying to suppress our protest.”Ashoka demanded Nagendra’s resignation and questioned why he had been brought back into the cabinet.“If he has any dignity and honour, he should come and resign. He should explain whether the Dalits were cheated or not, why he was arrested and why he was dismissed,” Ashoka said.“Instead, they are giving him bonus after bonus. You have all shared the money, and we will not let him off,” he said.The BJP leaders accused the government of protecting people facing corruption allegations and said they would continue their agitation until Nagendra was removed from the cabinet.
