Bengaluru, Aug 19 (IANS) Responding to charges by Minister for Planning and Statistics B. Nagendra that “Manuvadis” were hatching a conspiracy to target a Dalit leader in the alleged Tribal Welfare Corporation case, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and prominent Dalit leader from BJP, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said the minister should not use his community identity to defend himself against corruption allegations.
Narayanaswamy said the BJP would continue its agitation demanding Nagendra’s resignation and warned that the party would launch a statewide protest if the minister did not step down.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Narayanaswamy alleged that Nagendra had earlier been removed from the Cabinet after allegations surfaced regarding the alleged Rs 187-crore irregularity in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
He criticised the state government for inducting Nagendra into the Cabinet again despite the case still being pending before the court.
“The police department has still not filed a complete chargesheet. Despite this, a case is pending against him. He is not fit to continue in the Cabinet. This is why we are demanding his removal,” Narayanaswamy said.
He rejected the government’s argument that the Opposition should participate in a discussion on the issue in the Assembly.
“What is there to discuss? The issue has already been discussed and Nagendra was removed from the Cabinet earlier,” he said.
Narayanaswamy also referred to the amount involved in the case, saying former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had acknowledged that around Rs 89 crore had been misappropriated, while the broader controversy involved Rs 187 crore transferred from the Corporation.
He said the recovery of money allegedly diverted in the case could not erase the alleged offence.
“If someone steals something and later returns the stolen property, does that make the person innocent? That is the question,” he said.
Reacting to Nagendra’s claim that he was being targeted because he was a Dalit and belonged to the Valmiki community, Narayanaswamy questioned why caste should be brought into a corruption case involving funds meant for the same community.
“Who is Valmiki? Whose is the Valmiki Corporation? If you belong to the Valmiki community and the money meant to reach that community was allegedly looted, how can you say that you are being targeted because you belong to the community?” he asked.
Narayanaswamy said those accused of wrongdoing should not invoke their caste as a shield against scrutiny.
“Will you honour someone who has allegedly swallowed the money? If money has been misappropriated, caste should not be brought into it. If someone has wronged their own community, they should accept responsibility,” he said.
He argued that Nagendra should have voluntarily resigned instead of waiting for the Opposition to demand his removal.
“If I had done something wrong, I would not wait for someone else to ask me to resign. I would say that I do not need the ministerial position and resign myself. There is no need to be reprimanded by others,” Narayanaswamy said.
Narayanaswamy further questioned whether being a Dalit gave anyone the right to misuse funds meant for Dalits and tribal communities.
“Just because you are a Dalit, does that give you permission to swallow Dalit funds? Is there any rule that only Dalits can misuse money meant for Dalits?” he asked.
He maintained that Nagendra was not legally cleared of the allegations and that the case remained pending.
Narayanaswamy also criticised the conduct of the Assembly proceedings, saying that the Opposition’s demand for a discussion would not change the amount allegedly misappropriated.
“What will happen if we discuss it? Will Rs 187 crore become Rs 50 crore? The amount will remain the same,” he said.
He warned that the BJP would not withdraw its agitation until Nagendra resigned.
“We will not step back from our fight under any circumstances,” he said.
Earlier, at a press conference in Bengaluru, Nagendra stated, “These Manuvadis are conspiring to somehow remove us from the Cabinet and push us out of office.”
Nagendra said he was ready to face questions in the Assembly and explain the facts surrounding the alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
According to Nagendra, Rs 187 crore was transferred from the Corporation without a Board meeting and without his knowledge or that of the Corporation chairman. He maintained that he had limited involvement in the Corporation’s functioning and claimed that the money was transferred by officials without obtaining the required financial approval.
He said that after the death of Corporation accounts superintendent P. Chandrashekhar, an investigation was ordered and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on May 31, 2024.
Nagendra said that of the Rs 187 crore, Rs 100 crore was frozen immediately after the irregularity came to light, while the remaining Rs 87 crore was transferred through Union Bank of India to Hyderabad and subsequently distributed among around 800 accounts.
He claimed that investigators had traced the transactions and recovered around Rs 79 crore so far. He added that the remaining amount was either recovered or was in the process of being recovered.
Nagendra also reiterated that he had voluntarily resigned from the Cabinet earlier to ensure that there was no possibility of his position influencing the investigation. He said that when the FIR was registered, not a single rupee from the alleged transaction had reached his account or any account connected to him.
“I am innocent, and it pains me deeply that you are trying to portray a Dalit as a criminal,” he said.
–IANS
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