Karnataka’s ‘clean chit’, ED’s ₹89.62 cr
The Congress government in Karnataka brought B Nagendra back to cabinet. The ED’s case calling him the “primary accused” in the Valmiki Corporation diversion is still on the court’s docket. “Not convicted yet” is not an answer; it’s an evasion.
The ED complaint remains before the court as the Karnataka government brings Nagendra back to the cabinet.
The BJP shouts. The Congress shrugs. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate’s own prosecution complaint says ₹89.62 crore meant for a Scheduled Tribes corporation was diverted into fake accounts across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, routed through shells, and partly used for politics — and it names B Nagendra as “primary accused and mastermind”. That is the ED’s allegation on record, before a special court that has taken cognisance. Not a rumour, not a reel.
After resigning in 2024 and securing bail, Nagendra was re‑inducted on August 3, 2026 with Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics. Asked why, the Congress line has been breezy: no conviction. Some ministers waved at a supposed clean chit and near‑total recovery; none of those documents were produced in public. What is on paper is the ED’s case: ₹187 crore deposited into a shifted account (including ₹43.33 crore from the Ganga Kalyana scheme) without procedure, and ₹89.62 crore allegedly siphoned out. The figures are the agency’s, and they’re in black and white.
The Opposition in Karnataka has staged marches and walkouts demanding Nagendra go; the Congress government has chosen to muscle through and call for debate later. Nagendra says he’s innocent and that “central agencies conspired”. The court will decide. Until then, bringing him back to cabinet while the ED’s complaint names him is a choice — and pretending “not convicted” settles it is the Congress government in Karnataka not bothering to answer the question it was actually asked.