Bengaluru, June 25: India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following allegations of corruption raised by legislators from the ruling Congress party.
Describing the alleged irregularities in government departments as “state-sponsored corruption,” BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra called on Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to intervene if the chief minister does not step down.
“Mr. Siddaramaiah should immediately tender his resignation. Otherwise, the Governor must act,” Vijayendra told reporters in Bengaluru, warning that the BJP would launch street protests if the demands were not met.
Vijayendra alleged widespread bribery across state departments, claiming that no official work could proceed without payments. “Bribe collection counters have been set up in every department—from the panchayat to the secretariat,” he said, accusing the chief minister of directing ministers close to him to raise funds to secure his position.
The BJP leader pointed to the recent resignation of former minister B. Nagendra, who stepped down following accusations of financial mismanagement at the Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. He suggested Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan could face similar pressure next.
“The administration is being run through a commission mafia,” Vijayendra alleged. “The chief minister has closed his eyes to rampant corruption to remain in power and break the tenure record of former CM Devaraj Urs.”
He also took aim at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of remaining silent in the face of growing dissent within the party. Vijayendra cited a recent statement by senior Congress MLA B.R. Patil, who claimed that poor families could not obtain housing without paying bribes—a claim the BJP says reflects frustration among ruling party legislators.
The Congress party and Siddaramaiah’s office have yet to respond publicly to the BJP’s demands.
