Former Karnataka minister and BJP leader BC Nagesh dies at 65

Former Karnataka minister and BJP leader BC Nagesh (65) died on August 18 at his daughter’s residence in Bengaluru following a brief illness.

Nagesh, a two-time MLA from Tiptur, served as the minister for School Education and Literacy in the Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka government from 2021 to 2023.

His tenure as Education minister was marked by several controversies, including allegations of saffronisation of school textbooks following a syllabus revision exercise. The government’s decision to restrict Muslim girl students from wearing the hijab in classrooms also triggered a major controversy during his tenure.

The hijab row intensified in December 2021 after six students of a government pre-university college in Udupi were barred from attending classes wearing the hijab. The students approached the Karnataka High Court and later the Supreme Court, challenging the restrictions on the grounds of their constitutional right to religious freedom.

As Education minister, Nagesh was instrumental in enforcing the hijab restrictions in government pre-university colleges (PUC) and did not permit students to wear the hijab while appearing for PUC examinations.

Nagesh, an engineer by training, was active in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during his student days before joining the BJP. He was elected to the state Assembly from Tiptur in 2008 and again in 2018.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra condoled Nagesh’s death, describing him as a person known for his simplicity, ideological commitment, and pro-people stance.

“His contributions to the party as an MLA, minister, and to the state through the reforms he brought as the Education minister of the state are immense,” Vijayendra said.

Nagesh’s body was kept at Jagannath Bhavan in Malleswaram from 7 am to 8 am on Wednesday, August 19. His final rites will be conducted in Tiptur later in the day.