Bengaluru, July 18 (UNI) Following the arrest of former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged Maharishi Valmiki Corporation Board scam, five Cabinet Ministers on Thursday accused the BJP of orchestrating a political maneuver to destabilise the opposition-led state government.
In a press conference here, the Ministers criticised the BJP-led central government for purportedly misusing agencies like the ED, Income Tax (IT), and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to undermine opposition governments across the country.
Minister Priyank Kharge alleged, “The BJP has a history of engineering political crisis in states using central agencies. From Arunachal Pradesh to Karnataka, they have consistently used ED, IT, and CBI to target opposition parties and facilitate defections. This misuse of power undermines democratic principles.”
He further questioned the selective focus of agencies, highlighting discrepancies in their investigations: “While the Maharishi Valmiki Corporation is under scrutiny, other similar cases like Bhovi Corporation and Dr. Ambedkar Corporation have been ignored. This selective targeting raises serious concerns about the impartiality of these investigations.”
Energy Minister KJ George emphasised the government’s commitment to impartial investigation. “Regardless of the allegations, we are committed to conducting a thorough investigation without any interference. Minister B Nagendra has resigned to cooperate with the investigation, and multiple agencies are involved to ensure transparency.”
Minister Krishna Byre Gowda accused the central government of pursuing confessions rather than justice: “The BJP’s agenda is clear—to coerce confessions through agencies like ED and IT to topple democratically elected governments. This approach undermines the rule of law and democratic norms.”
He further criticised the disproportionate targeting of opposition parties. “Since 2014, there has been a significant increase in cases filed by ED against opposition leaders, while cases against BJP leaders and their allies remain minimal. This imbalance reflects a systemic bias,” Gowda said.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao condemned the BJP’s alleged misuse of agencies: “It is evident that the BJP uses central agencies as tools to intimidate state governments and elected representatives. This strategy is not new and has been deployed against leaders like Kejriwal and Hemant Soren.”
In response, Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yediyurappa announced protests against the allegations, “New revelations are surfacing daily, particularly since the ED initiated its probe. Today, it has come to light that funds were allegedly misused during elections. The BJP is staging a protest at Freedom Park to demand justice in the Valmiki scam.”
The Valmiki scam involves allegations of misappropriation of funds from the Maharshi Valmiki ST Corporation, which oversees welfare initiatives for Scheduled Tribe communities. The case gained attention following the tragic suicide of a corporation official who purportedly left a note detailing widespread corruption within the organisation.
