BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday appealed to the Opposition in the Council to serve notice and participate in a discussion before protesting in the House demanding removal of Statistics and Planning Minister B Nagendra from the Cabinet for his alleged role in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam.
Addressing the agitating Opposition members, Shivakumar said everyone has the right to protest in a democracy and that the State Government had no objection to it. “However, give a notice to the Chairman, hold a discussion on Nagendra and place the matter before the people”, Shivakumar said. “You (opposition) are not serving any notice. You are not coming into the well of the House and protesting. You are not discussing,” Shivakumar said.
Questioning the Opposition, Shivakumar asked what evidence or information it had against Nagendra. “Why should Nagendra resign? What have you unearthed? Let the House and the people know what the CBI, ED, SIT have found,” Shivakumar said.
Assuring the Opposition that the government would respond to the allegations, Shivakumar said he could explain why he had inducted Nagendra into his Cabinet. He said it was not reasonable to call Nagendra corrupt, allege that money has gone to LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and term his government corrupt without even holding a discussion.
Shivakumar said he could also name Union Ministers and former ministers against whom cases had been registered, but would refrain from doing so as it would upset the Opposition.
Leader of Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy objected to it, saying the Opposition had no personal enmity against Nagendra. He said Nagendra is out on bail and the court had not acquitted him of the allegations against him. He said there are other leaders from the Valmiki community who could replace Nagendra, and that the Opposition was ready for a discussion after this removal.
At the start of the proceedings, Opposition members raised slogans against the State Government and Nagendra. Despite Chairman Saleem Ahmed’s appeal to cooperate in running the House, the Opposition continued its protest.
Earlier, Narayanaswamy urged the CM to book Minister Vijayanand Kashappanavar under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleging that he used objectionable words against the Dalit community while criticising PM Modi.