Karnataka Assembly Drama: Excise Minister Resignation Demands Stir Political Tensions

Karnataka's political landscape is fraught with tensions, as the BJP demands Excise Minister R B Timmapur's resignation over alleged corruption, which the Congress firmly dismisses as baseless. The BJP's protest, involving an overnight assembly sit-in, aims to sidetrack the discussion on replacing MGNREGA. Congress views the demands as a strategic distraction.

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed heightened tensions as the BJP demanded the resignation of Excise Minister R B Timmapur over alleged large-scale corruption in his department. The accusation, however, was firmly denied by the Congress, with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar dismissing the claims as 'fake issues' without any substantial evidence.

As the assembly session commenced, BJP leaders staged an overnight agitation, protesting inside the venue to divert attention from the ongoing discussion about replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat scheme. Congress leaders labeled the protest as a distraction tactic.

Opposition leader R Ashoka accused the ruling Congress of utilizing funds from the alleged Rs 6,000 crore Excise Department scam for election campaigning. Despite these serious allegations, Home Minister G Parameshwara stressed the necessity of providing concrete evidence before any ministerial resignation could be considered.

(With inputs from agencies.)