Overview
- B Nagendra resigned as minister for planning and statistics and from his MLA seat on Friday, Aug 28, and personally handed his resignation to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar while saying he stepped down to avoid embarrassment to the party.
- Chief Minister Shivakumar said he will notify and consult the Congress high command before accepting the resignation and maintained that Nagendra is not connected to the alleged Valmiki Corporation irregularities.
- The BJP and its ally JD(S) had pressed for Nagendra’s removal for weeks, staging protests, marching to Vidhana Soudha, prompting preventive detentions and stalling both Houses of the Karnataka legislature.
- Nagendra denied any role in wrongdoing, accused opponents of identity-based targeting by calling them 'Manuwadis', and said central agencies such as the ED and CBI could not intimidate him.
- The allegations concern alleged financial irregularities at the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation, a state body for Scheduled Tribe welfare, and references to ED and CBI action remain contested with no court conviction reported.