Nagendra Vs. ED: Unmasking Allegations in Karnataka Valmiki Scam

Former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of pressuring him to implicate Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a multi-crore scam. Nagendra, recently granted bail, claims the ED's actions were part of a conspiracy by the BJP to undermine the Congress government.

In a dramatic turn of events, former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of exerting pressure on him to implicate Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the multi-crore Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam. Having recently secured bail, Nagendra claimed the ED's actions were driven by a conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to destabilize the Congress government in the state.

Speaking to reporters upon his release from jail, Nagendra alleged that the ED attempted to link him and top Congress leaders to the scam without any substantiated evidence. He asserted that his arrest was a ploy by central BJP leaders to destabilize the Congress-led state government, despite there being no evidence of involvement on his part or that of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

The former minister, who resigned amid allegations, accused the ED of acting under political pressure, further criticizing its selective targeting of political figures, citing the arrests of political figures like Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. Nagendra insisted that the financial mismanagement was a bank scam unrelated to the state government, vowing to continue his political battle to strengthen the Congress party's position in Karnataka.

(With inputs from agencies.)