Karnataka Minister B Nagendra resigns amid CBI corruption probe

Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra resigned from the Karnataka cabinet on Friday following a CBI chargesheet against him in an alleged corruption case. Nagendra, a Scheduled Tribe Valmiki Nayak community leader, cited the BJP's alleged "anti-tribal mindset" as the reason for his exit. He accused the BJP of orchestrating his removal due to his background and suggested he might resign from his seat as the Ballari Rural MLA as well.

The CBI's prosecution sanction for Nagendra, related to alleged misappropriation of funds from the Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, came after the Governor granted it in 2023-24. The Congress party had initially inducted Nagendra into the cabinet on August 3, despite demands for his resignation by the BJP, stating there was no evidence linking him to the alleged corruption.