Ballari Chalo Padayatra: BY Vijayendra Says BJP Will Continue Fight Until Valmiki Corporation, SCSP-TSP Funds Are Restored
Lingasugur (Raichur district)/Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra said the party would continue its agitation against the Congress government until funds allegedly diverted from the Valmiki Corporation and SCSP-TSP allocations were restored and justice was delivered to Dalits and farmers.
Addressing the inaugural programme of the BJP’s Ballari Chalo padayatra against what the party described as the failures of the Congress government, Vijayendra alleged that the government led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was “of the corrupt, by the corrupt and for the corrupt”. He said the BJP would not stop its agitation until the government was removed from power.
Vijayendra said the Congress had expected the BJP to end its agitation after minister B. Nagendra resigned over the alleged Rs 187-crore Valmiki Corporation scam. He said the party would instead continue its campaign until the entire amount involved in the alleged irregularities was returned to the corporation, SCSP-TSP funds were restored for Dalit welfare and justice was secured in cases of atrocities against Dalits and for farmers.
Referring to Shivakumar’s question on why the BJP was continuing the padayatra after Nagendra’s resignation, Vijayendra accused the Congress government of being against the poor, Dalits, youth and women. He said the march was aimed at removing what he described as a corrupt government.
Vijayendra claimed that Nagendra’s resignation came after the BJP announced an overnight protest in the legislature. He alleged that the government acted hurriedly because of the BJP’s agitation and accused the Chief Minister of avoiding the legislature during the protest.
He also targeted the Congress over its claims of supporting Dalits, alleging that funds meant for Dalit welfare had been misused. Vijayendra said the BJP had been labelled anti-Dalit for demanding Nagendra’s resignation, but argued that the public would reject what he described as the Congress government’s political posturing on the issue.
Calling Nagendra’s resignation the first victory of the BJP’s agitation, Vijayendra said the party had organised overnight protests at district headquarters against the government. He thanked BJP workers who participated and said the JD(S) had also supported the agitation.
Vijayendra questioned why Nagendra should be made a minister again after resigning in connection with the alleged Rs 187-crore Valmiki Corporation scam. He accused the Congress of portraying the BJP as anti-Dalit whenever it raised the issue.
He also referred to the resignation of K.N. Rajanna after his remarks on “vote chori” and questioned the Congress’s position on Dalit interests in that case.
Vijayendra said the BJP was not undertaking the padayatra merely as a political exercise and reiterated that the agitation would continue until the Valmiki Corporation funds were fully restored and used for Dalit welfare schemes.
The BJP state president further accused the Congress government of failing to properly implement reservation measures introduced during Basavaraj Bommai’s tenure for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and nomadic communities. He alleged that the Congress had undermined reservation whenever it came to power.
Vijayendra also alleged that Rs 50,000 crore from SCP-TSP funds earmarked for Dalits had been diverted for other purposes after the Congress government came to power. He said the BJP’s agitation would continue until the money was restored and questioned the government’s claims of concern for Dalits.
He further referred to the killing of Gavishiddappa, a youth from the Valmiki community in Koppal, alleging that the government had failed to respond appropriately and that a POCSO case was registered within hours of his death.
Vijayendra also referred to the suicide of officer Chandrashekhar in connection with the Valmiki Corporation case. He alleged that the government had failed to share the family’s grief and had merely offered the officer’s son a watchman’s job.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, former chief ministers and MPs Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha member M. Nagaraj, Karnataka co-in-charge P. Sudhakar Reddy, former Deputy Chief Minister and MP Govind Karjol, former minister B. Sriramulu, MLAs Gali Janardhana Reddy, Manappa Vajjal and Dr S. Shivaraj Patil, state vice-president Rajugouda Nayak and former minister Shivanagouda Nayak were among those present.
Members of the BJP core committee, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, state office-bearers, district presidents and party workers also attended the programme.
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