📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Rajesh Shetty
Politics
BJP and JDS march to Karnataka’s Vidhan Soudha over alleged Rs 89 crore Valmiki SC/ST fund scam
✍️ India Today
🗓 23 Aug 2026, 03:03 PM
👁 17
Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) staged a protest march to the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru, demanding investigation into a purported Rs 89 crore scam involving the Valmiki SC/ST welfare fund.
Earlier this week, activists from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) converged on Karnataka's Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru, forming a "Chalo" march to press for a probe into a high‑value financial irregularity. The demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting slogans, entered the state legislature precinct demanding transparency and accountability.
The protest centers on allegations that roughly Rs 89 crore earmarked for the Valmiki Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare fund was misappropriated. While details of the purported misuse remain under investigation, the parties claim that the funds intended for education, health and livelihood schemes for the Valmiki community have been siphoned off.
Organisers said the march aims to compel the state government to launch an independent inquiry and to ensure that any wrongdoing is brought to light. The demonstration concluded without reported incidents of violence, and officials have been urged to address the concerns raised by the BJP and JDS leaders.
The protest centers on allegations that roughly Rs 89 crore earmarked for the Valmiki Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare fund was misappropriated. While details of the purported misuse remain under investigation, the parties claim that the funds intended for education, health and livelihood schemes for the Valmiki community have been siphoned off.
Organisers said the march aims to compel the state government to launch an independent inquiry and to ensure that any wrongdoing is brought to light. The demonstration concluded without reported incidents of violence, and officials have been urged to address the concerns raised by the BJP and JDS leaders.