BENGALURU: Karnataka Legislative Assembly proceedings were disrupted on Monday as the opposition protested, demanding the removal of Minister B Nagendra from the Cabinet over his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of crores of rupees at a state-run corporation.
As soon as Speaker GS Patil called for Question Hour, opposition BJP and JD(S) members raised the issue.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and BJP MLA Sunil Kumar questioned how they could participate in Question Hour with a "corrupt minister" present.
Demanding Nagendra's removal, Ashoka said, "We will not let the House function until he is dropped. The CM should remove him from the Cabinet immediately."
The BJP had already announced that it would not allow the proceedings of the Monsoon Session to continue unless Nagendra was sacked.
The Ballari MLA, who had resigned from the previous Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet following allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, was inducted into the D K Shivakumar-led Ministry on August 3. He is now the Minister for Planning and Statistics.
"When Siddaramaiah was CM, he had taken Nagendra's resignation, accepting Rs 89 crore loot. Why has he been taken into the Cabinet now?" Ashoka asked.
Ministers, ruling party members and the Speaker said the issue was being raised without prior notice. Minister for Bengaluru Development Krishna Byre Gowda and others accused the opposition of wasting the House's time by making baseless allegations without giving notice, in violation of the rules.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Nagendra in the Valmiki Corporation scam case in July 2024, and a Special Court in Bengaluru granted him bail in October that year.
Nagendra has been named in chargesheets filed by the ED and the CBI in connection with the case.
As the opposition protested and continued sloganeering despite the Speaker's repeated requests to allow Question Hour to proceed, he adjourned the House for some time.
When the House met again, BJP and JD(S) members continued to protest from their respective seats, demanding Nagendra's removal.
Speaker Patil said he had spoken to the ruling party and that, if the opposition gave a notice, he would allow a discussion and a reply from the government on the matter.
Sunil Kumar, however, said there was no use in holding a discussion and that what was required was the minister's resignation.
"The matter and the allegations against the minister have already been discussed in the past. He cannot stay in the post even for a second. The CM should take his resignation immediately," he said.
Ashoka said he too was open to a discussion, but Nagendra should not remain a minister during it. He pointed out that chargesheets had been filed against him by the CBI and ED.
Pointing out that the Congress had demanded and secured the resignation of former BJP Minister K S Eshwarappa after a contractor died by suicide following allegations against him, Ashoka said, "In this case too, a Dalit official died by suicide. His wife has not been given a pension or a job yet. Where is the justice for them?"
The Speaker requested the opposition to allow the House to function, citing the need to discuss key issues, including the drought situation in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said several developments had taken place since Siddaramaiah accepted Nagendra's resignation. He said the governor, who is the constitutional head of the state, had sworn in Nagendra as a minister.
Sunil Kumar said that if the ruling party did not want Nagendra to resign, the Congress should admit that the money was used for the Ballari polls and that it was taken by the Congress high command.
As the arguments and protests continued, causing considerable chaos, the Speaker again adjourned the House for some time.
When the House resumed amid protests, the Speaker once again asked the opposition to give notice and participate in discussions.
Krishna Byre Gowda said the government was open to discussing the matter.
Ashoka asked why the government was adamant about not seeking Nagendra's resignation despite what he called the minister's wrongdoing. He questioned whether Nagendra had become a minister by paying money to the Congress leadership.
The Leader of Opposition reiterated that the House would not function until the minister was removed.
With no signs of the opposition relenting, the Speaker proceeded with Question Hour amid sloganeering. Congress MLAs raised questions and ministers responded amid the loud noise.
The Speaker transacted other business of the House, such as laying certain papers and withdrawing the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2018, before adjourning the House for the day.