Bengaluru, Aug 23 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday hit out at the BJP and JD(S) for disrupting proceedings in both Houses of the state legislature for over a week.
Describing the Opposition’s sloganeering inside the Houses as “hooliganism”, Shivakumar said the BJP and JD(S) lacked the strength to face the Congress in the Assembly.
He also alleged that the two parties were jealous of the Congress having a larger number of tribal and Dalit MLAs.
“This is the law in the country. Let them do whatever they want within the framework of the law. What they are doing today is hooliganism,” Shivakumar told reporters.
He was referring to repeated disruptions of proceedings in both Houses by the Opposition, which is demanding the removal of Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra from the Cabinet.
Nagendra is facing allegations in connection with the Rs 89 crore irregularities in the Karnataka State Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation when he was the Tribal Welfare Minister in the Siddaramaiah government from May 2023 to June 2024.
Shivakumar said the Opposition should have given notice and sought a discussion in the House instead of disrupting proceedings.
“There is nothing wrong in asking whatever they want, staging a dharna or holding a protest. But I am only telling them to give a small notice, come for a discussion and ask why he (Nagendra) should resign,” Shivakumar said.
Stating that the Opposition lacked patience, Shivakumar said, “The BJP-JD(S) do not have the strength to face the Congress party in the Assembly.” He challenged BJP leaders to disclose how many of their leaders, from union ministers to chief ministers, faced cases.
“You should also come out with a document showing how many ministers in the country have cases and how many chief ministers have cases. Why are they not demanding their resignation? They are only targeting a Dalit leader, an ST minister, a tribal minister,” Shivakumar said.
According to him, the BJP was “jealous” of the Congress.
“Over 15 MLAs from the downtrodden communities have been elected from the Congress party. They (BJP) are very jealous of this. They could not get any ST community leaders elected from their party. That is why they are trying to do this,” the CM said.
Nagendra, who was the Tribal Welfare minister when the alleged irregularities came to light in June 2024 following the suicide of the corporation’s accounts superintendent P Chandrasekharan, resigned amid the allegations. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and is currently out on bail. PTI GMS SSK
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