Bengaluru/Hubballi: A court setback for newly inducted minister B Nagendra and a viral audio purportedly featuring two senior Congress functionaries questioning his return to the cabinet piled pressure on the DK Shivakumar govt over his reinduction despite an ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into his alleged link in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam.The developments gave fresh ammunition to BJP while also exposing discontent within Congress. Some ministerial aspirants are also learnt to be unhappy over inducting Nagendra, who is out on bail.A special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru Wednesday rejected Nagendra’s plea to travel to New Delhi between Aug 7 and 10. ED’s special public prosecutor opposed the petition and Judge Shivaprasad held that the minister had failed to provide sufficient and convincing reasons for the trip.Nagendra, sworn in Monday and expected to get the fisheries, ports and inland water transport portfolio, had resigned from the Siddaramaiah cabinet after the alleged scam surfaced in 2024. While CID gave him a clean chit in the predicate offence, ED’s money laundering probe continues.Meanwhile, a 5.34-minute audio clip purportedly featuring former minister RB Timmapur and former MLA SG Nanjayyanamath, allegedly questioning Nagendra’s induction while senior and experienced hand HK Patil was denied a cabinet berth surfaced Wednesday, adding more embarrassment to Congress. During their alleged conversation, the two claimed that 80% of ministerial berths were “payment seats”.Nanjayyanamath, also Bagalkot District Congress Committee president, is purportedly heard saying Nagendra had “not been acquitted” and was only out on bail, calling his induction a “tragedy”. Timmapur is allegedly heard asking what mistake Patil had committed. After the clip was widely shared, Nanjayyanamath described it as a casual conversation but insisted “parts had been inserted into it as part of a conspiracy”. Timmapur dismissed the recording as “fabricated”.However, newly inducted minister Vijayanand Kashappanavar said the voices were those of the two Congress functionaries and that the issue would be taken up with party brass.Gali Janardhana Reddy, BJP MLA, alleged Nagendra was made the “face” of the scam while others escaped accountability. He claimed Nagendra was re-inducted to prevent him from naming other alleged beneficiaries.
