Bengaluru, 28 June

BJP State Unit President BY Vijayendra and hundreds of party workers were detained on Friday in Chitradurga following a protest condemning the alleged fund mismanagement in the Valmiki Corporation scam. BJP accused the ruling Congress government of being involved in the fraud of Rs 89.63 crore, demanding  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation. The protestors attempted to lay siege to the District Commissioner (DC) offices across the State. The protest, which began at Onake Obavva Circle, escalated as hundreds of activists expressed their outrage against the government. The tribal welfare scam emerged after the illegal transfer of government funds to illegal accounts to use for Hyderabad and Telangana during the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to the reporters, Vijayendra said, “BJP will continue with the agitations and Minister Nagendra's resignation is not just enough. Also, Siddaramaiah is trying to put the blame on another officer to close the case as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the government is increasing the prices of petrol, diesel, and milk putting people in misery.”

Criticising Siddaramaiah's tenure, he alleged internal politics within the Congress party, highlighting the demand by Congress leaders for more deputy chief minister posts.

Vijayendra said, “Before the election, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar displayed unity, but now they are at odds. There is a probability of street fights in the state. We have to wait and see how things unfold.”

He accused the Congress leadership of neglecting public issues, stating, "The ministers are downplaying inflation, and public trust in the Congress government is diminishing."

Additionally, BJP farmers’ morcha has announced to protest on Saturday over the recent milk price hike.