The Karnataka units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) initiated a protest at the Vidhana Soudha, urging Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapur to step down. Leaders including R. Ashoka, B.Y. Vijayendra, and C.B. Suresh Babu voiced their demands at a joint press conference in Bengaluru. The legislators displayed placards inside the Assembly, pressing for the minister’s resignation over an alleged Rs 6,000 crore excise scam.
BJP’s Ashoka highlighted allegations by liquor associations of a massive scam within the Excise Department, claiming the minister collected substantial sums monthly. He mentioned payments for positions within the department and a complaint filed with the Lokayukta. Ashoka accused the government of involvement, asserting that the opposition would persist until accountability is established.
The protest, including an overnight dharna, aims to force Thimmapur’s resignation. JD(S) leader C.B. Suresh Babu criticized the government for overlooking large-scale scams while promoting liquor consumption. BJP’s B.Y. Vijayendra accused the Congress high command of complicity in the corruption scandal, emphasizing the demand for the Excise Minister’s immediate resignation. The opposition parties vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met.
