In tears, B Nagendra announces resignation: ‘To ensure party does not face any embarrassment’

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister and Congress leader B Nagendra on Friday announced his resignation from the state Cabinet, saying he was stepping down voluntarily to prevent his party from facing embarrassment over what he called “unnecessary allegations” raised by the Opposition.

Speaking to reporters, Nagendra said he had decided to resign of his own will and thanked those who had extended moral support to him.

“I am resigning of my own will to avoid the embarrassment that may cost my party because of unnecessary allegations made by the opposition party against me,” Nagendra said.

The minister also criticised Opposition parties over the disruption of the ongoing Assembly session, calling their conduct “unconstitutional”.

“At present, I want to address several issues, as the opposition parties did not allow the Assembly session to continue, which is unconstitutional,” he said.

B Nagendra attacks Opposition over Assembly disruption

Nagendra accused the Opposition of attempting to bring back the principles of the Manusmriti, arguing that the country is now governed by the Constitution and the principles of B R Ambedkar.

“The opposition parties are still thinking of imposing the Manusmriti; they have forgotten what era we are living in. This is a constitutional era; this is the era of Babasaheb,” he said.

He also invoked an episode from the Ramayana while contrasting the social order of the past with the constitutional system of the present.

“Look at what happened in the Ramayana—Shambuka was killed. But now, we have a Constitution, and the law exists,” Nagendra said.

He went on to accuse the Opposition of trying to target him, adding, “All these Manusmriti-backed opposition parties that are trying to assassinate Shambuka—that will not happen now.”

Nagendra's resignation follows Cabinet re-induction

Nagendra’s resignation comes after his re-induction into the Karnataka Cabinet had triggered political opposition and legislative disruption.

His return to the Cabinet had drawn renewed criticism from Opposition parties over the allegations linked to the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

Nagendra, however, maintained that his decision to step down was aimed at protecting his party from embarrassment arising from what he described as allegations against him.

What is the Valmiki Corporation scam?

The controversy emerged in May 2024 after P Chandrasekharan, then an accounts superintendent with the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, died by suicide and left a six-page note alleging irregularities and unauthorised transfers of corporation funds.

Subsequent investigations found that Rs 89.63 crore had been transferred from a corporation account to a Union Bank of India account and then moved to multiple other accounts, triggering a major political controversy.

Nagendra was the Tribal Welfare Minister when the controversy surfaced and resigned from the Cabinet in June 2024. He was later re-inducted into the Cabinet on August 3, 2026, with the Planning and Statistics portfolio.

His return to the Cabinet had revived Opposition demands for his resignation. The BJP and JD(S) had staged repeated protests inside and outside the legislature during the monsoon session, demanding his removal.

The Opposition parties had also planned a foot march from Raichur to Ballari from September 1 to 10 over the issue.