BJP’s indefinite protest demanding Nagendra’s resignation enters second day; Shivamogga MP Raghavendra joins the protest

B.Y. Raghavendra, Shivamogga MP, has demanded that the State government drop B. Nagendra from the Cabinet within 24 hours, warning that the BJP will lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha if the demand is not met.

Addressing party workers staging an indefinite protest demanding Mr. Nagendra’s resignation on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shivamogga on Tuesday (August 18), Mr. Raghavendra said Mr. Nagendra had earlier resigned as a Minister following allegations of corruption in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. He was facing charges of misusing funds meant for the welfare of the Scheduled Tribe community. An official of the corporation, Chandrashekhar, died by suicide following the alleged scam, leaving behind a note that triggered the investigation.

“Such a Minister should not have been re-inducted into the Cabinet. The Chief Minister should drop him. Otherwise, the BJP will lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha,” he said.

Mr. Raghavendra further alleged that the State government was misleading the residents in the name of its guarantee schemes. Under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, people had hoped to secure free power up to 200 units a month; however, a majority did not secure the benefit as the scheme was not implemented as promised.

While the government introduced the Shakti scheme for women, hundreds of schoolchildren were not getting buses to reach schools in the morning, he alleged. There had also been lapses in the Gruha Lakshmi and Anna Bhagya schemes, he stated, and appealed to BJP workers to spread awareness among the public against what he called the corrupt Congress government.

The district unit of the BJP began the indefinite protest demanding Mr. Nagendra’s resignation on Monday (August 17). BJP district president N.K. Jagadish and others led the protest.