Opposition stages overnight protest in Assembly seeking Excise Minister Timmapur’s resignation

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Feb 4, 2026: The BJP and its ally JD(S) on Tuesday launched an overnight protest in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, demanding the resignation of Excise Minister R.B. Timmapur over alleged corruption in the Excise Department.

The opposition alleged widespread irregularities in the department, claiming that bribes were being demanded for issuing liquor licences. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said the alleged scam was worth nearly ₹6,000 crore and accused the ruling Congress of diverting the money to fund elections in poll-bound states.

The agitation follows the recent arrest of Bengaluru Urban Excise Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesh Naik and two other officials by Lokayukta sleuths on January 16, while they were allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹25 lakh. According to Lokayukta officials, the accused had reportedly demanded ₹80 lakh to issue CL-7 (Hotels and Boarding Houses) and microbrewery licences.

Rejecting the BJP’s demand for his resignation, Timmapur said no minister had resigned during the BJP’s tenure despite several scams. “Corruption is not new, especially in my department,” he said while responding to the opposition in the Assembly.

The minister claimed he had taken several steps to curb corruption, including simplifying the licence-issuing process after consultations with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He said the number of logins required for CL-7 licences had been reduced from 16 to seven, and licence renewals were changed from an annual process to once every five years.

Timmapur also said he introduced an e-auction system to ensure that people from weaker sections had access to licences, while acknowledging that some individuals held multiple benami licences.

Responding to allegations that an official caught by the Lokayukta had named him in a purported audio clip, Timmapur said the officer was misusing his name. He countered by citing several alleged scams during the BJP’s rule, including those related to eggs, APMC, Bhovi Development Corporation, tourism, KEONICS, Bitcoin and COVID-19, and questioned why no ministers had resigned then.

“My involvement is nil. What mistake have I committed? I reject all these baseless allegations,” the minister said, challenging the BJP to prove its charges. “I don’t need to resign,” he asserted.

Unconvinced by the response, BJP and JD(S) members raised slogans against the Congress government. Amid the din, Speaker U.T. Khader adjourned the House for the day.

Following the adjournment, opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House, shouting slogans and holding placards demanding the minister’s resignation. Ashoka announced an overnight sit-in inside the Assembly, saying the protest would continue until Timmapur stepped down.