Amid row, CM, DyCM defend bulldozer action

KArnataka chief government minister Siddaramaiah on sabbatum responded to his Kerala opposite number Pinarayi Vijayan’s unfavorable judgment of the demolition sue and eviction of several families in Kogila Layout in Bengaluru on December 20.Taking to the social media platform X, Siddaramaiah wrote, “Several people had illegally erected makeshift shelters at the waste-disposal site in the Kogila Layout near Yelahanka. It is not a place suitable for human habitation. Despite issuing notices on multiple occasions directing the families to relocate, the residents failed to comply. Under these circumstances, it became unavoidable to clear the encroachment and vacate the site.”The chief minister added that he had spoken to the commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to arrange temporary shelter, food and other essentials for those displaced.He said that the bulk of the displaced people were migrant workers and reiterated that the “government will nevertheless ensure appropriate accommodation on humanitarian grounds.”Siddaramaiah also sought to clarify the nature of the operation, saying, “There is a fundamental difference between ‘bulldozer justice’ and the lawful removal of illegal encroachments. The criticism being made by Pinarayi Vijayan is politically motivated and reflects a lack of understanding of the factual situation.”Hours after Siddaramaiah’s post, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said he had spoken to Siddaramiaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on the issue of the demolitions.“Conveyed the AICC’s serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with far greater caution, sensitivity, and compassion, keeping the human impact at the centre,” Venugopal said.Earlier, on Friday, Vijayan also chose X to express his criticism of the move.“The bulldozing of Faqir Colony and Waseem Layout in Bengaluru, uprooting Muslim families who have lived there for years, exposes the brutal normalisation of “bulldozer raj”. Sadly, the Sangh Parivar’s anti-minority politics is now being executed under a Congress Government in Karnataka. When a regime rules through fear and brute force, constitutional values and human dignity become the first casualties. All secular and democratic forces must rally together to resist and defeat this insidious trend,” wrote Vijayan.Meanwhile, Shivakumar also responded to Vijayan’s criticism.“It is unfortunate that senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan have spoken without knowing the truth. He should know what is the issue at hand. The place (Kogila Layout) is a quarry pit for solid waste disposal. A notification was issued for the solid waste disposal unit 9 years ago. I know Bengaluru well. We will not let the land mafia build slums. We had said that we will protect our land,” said Shivakumar.“Bulldozer culture is not ours. Pinarayi Vijayan should not interfere in the state’s affairs without knowing the truth,” he added.On Saturday, a delegation led by CPI(M) leader and Kerala MP AA Rahim visited Kogilu Layout to meet with displaced families and assess the situation.Speaking to reporters in the city, he labelled the Karnataka government’s actions as “anti-minority” and criticised their stance on the issue.