Tribal welfare scam: K’taka Assembly adjourned sine die, BJP announces overnight protest

Bengaluru, Aug 24 (AHN) The Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die (indefinitely) by Speaker G.S. Patil on Monday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced a round‑the‑clock protest demanding the resignation of Planning and Statistics Minister B. Nagendra over his alleged involvement in the Tribal Welfare Corporation scam.

The Monsoon Session began on August 13 and was scheduled to continue until August 27. The BJP has repeatedly disrupted proceedings since the beginning of the session, demanding Nagendra’s resignation.

Following the adjournment, the BJP announced it would seek the intervention of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and take the issue to the people.

BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said, “We have understood that we cannot get justice. We will go to the people. We seek the intervention of the Governor in the matter and urge him to pull up the Congress government for protecting a corrupt minister.”

Vijayendra accused the Congress government of deliberately ending the session to avoid facing the Opposition. He alleged, “Unable to face the Opposition, the Congress government has run away through the back door. The Congress government is corrupt and is protecting those who have looted public money.”

He further claimed that Nagendra was being protected because dropping him could expose wider corruption. “Minister Nagendra has gobbled up Dalit money. The Chief Minister fears that if Nagendra is dropped, their corruption will come out in the open. That is why he is being protected,” Vijayendra said.

He also pointed out that the amount involved in the scam had been disputed within the government, noting that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had stated in the Assembly that the scam involved Rs 84 crore and not Rs 184 crore.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka also criticised the government and Speaker G.S. Patil for adjourning the session before its scheduled conclusion. “For the first time in the history of Karnataka, in the last 25 to 30 years, fearing the Opposition, the Congress government has ended the session. We had announced an overnight protest in both Houses and had also stated that we would approach the Governor,” Ashoka said.

He alleged that the government had abruptly ended the session because it was unable to face the Opposition. “If the Congress has the courage and capacity, it should have allowed the session to continue for the scheduled period. We had confidence in the Speaker, since he is a senior politician, and thought that he would run the House appropriately. He too could not run the House,” Ashoka said.

Ashoka reiterated the BJP’s allegation that Rs 184 crore belonging to Dalit communities had been misappropriated. “The looted money of Dalits amounting to Rs 184 crore should reach Dalit households. There is no politics in this. The Congress is pursuing politics in the matter. Nagendra may be a Dalit, but injustice has been done to crores of Dalits in the state,” he said.

He further alleged that several bills had been passed without adequate discussion in the Assembly and raised questions over allocation of funds for government and party‑related programmes. “There was a Finance Bill, and crores of rupees have been sanctioned for party programmes. The city corporation treasury is empty, yet orders have been issued to release funds. The programme has been designed to fund Congress stooges. We will take out a protest march; it will not be cancelled,” Ashoka said.

The BJP has maintained that it will continue its agitation outside the Assembly and approach the Governor over the issue.

The abrupt adjournment of the session also assumes significance as it was the first Assembly session after D.K. Shivakumar assumed office as Chief Minister.