NEW DELHI: Karnataka BJP leader on Sunday slammed Congress general secretary K C Venugopal over his remarks on the Bengaluru demolition drive, accusing him of interfering in the state’s administration and asking whether he was acting as a “super CM”.Leader of opposition in the Karnataka assembly, R Ashoka, said the state “deserves respect, autonomy and honest governance, not high-command theatrics,” further asserting that “Karnataka is not a colony of Rahul Gandhi and his coterie.”LoP Ashoka asked, “Who is K C Venugopal to intervene in the administration of Karnataka. Is he a Super CM, or does the Congress high command believe elected state governments function on Delhi diktats.”He stated that Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected chief minister and cabinet, not by an AICC general secretary. Expressing a party view is one thing, but issuing moral sermons and applying pressure on a state government amounts to “blatant overreach” and is an insult to federalism, the BJP leader added.
Congress’ Venugopal expresses ‘serious concern’
The BJP leader’s remarks came after Venugopal expressed “serious concern” over the demolition drive carried out by the Karnataka government in Kogilu village, which led to the eviction of several settlers.Earlier in a post on X on Saturday, Venugopal said he had spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and conveyed that such actions should have been taken with “far greater caution”.He said he had 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.”“They have assured that they will personally engage with the affected families, put in place an appropriate mechanism for addressing grievances, and ensure rehabilitation and relief for those impacted,” Venugopal added.
BJP alleges intervention
Ashoka questioned Venugopal’s selective intervention, asking whether he had shown similar concern when “medical and other waste from Kerala have been illegally dumped along Karnataka’s borders, threatening Bandipur, forest regions, public health, and wildlife”.“What’s more troubling is the rank hypocrisy. Has K C Venugopal ever shown the same urgency when medical and other waste from Kerala have been illegally dumped along Karnataka’s borders, threatening Bandipur, forest regions, public health, and wildlife? Has he spoken up for Karnataka’s environment, farmers, or border districts with the same concern and compassion,” he asked.“Silence there. Sermons here,” he said, adding that the outrage was not about humanity but about “Congress high command politics, Kerala appeasement, and election optics”, particularly when senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi represents Kerala in the Lok Sabha.“Karnataka’s dignity, self-respect and administrative authority cannot be compromised to please party managers sitting in Delhi. The people of this state did not vote for a remote-control government,” Ashoka said.Venugopal’s comments came following criticism from Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who described the demolitions in Bengaluru’s Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout as “extremely shocking and painful”.
What did the Karnataka govt say?
Earlier on Saturday, chief minister Siddaramaiah rejected Vijayan’s criticism, calling it “politically motivated” and reflective of a “lack of understanding of the factual situation”.“Several people had illegally erected makeshift shelters at the waste-disposal site in the Kogilu Layout near Yelahanka in Bengaluru. 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 Karnataka CM had said.Deputy CM Shivakumar also hit back, asking Vijayan to “not interfere” in Karnataka’s affairs. “The land which was cleared of encroachment was a solid waste pit. There are many health-related issues in the area due to this,” he said, adding that affected residents had been given opportunities to relocate.
Kerala CM vs Karnataka CM
Earlier in a Facebook post earlier, Vijayan accused the Karnataka government of following a “North Indian bulldozer justice model” and described the demolitions as “anti-minority aggressive politics”. He also questioned how a Congress-led government could justify forced evictions instead of ensuring housing for the poor, saying it was surprising to see such actions under a Congress administration.Responding to the criticism, Siddaramaiah rejected Vijayan’s remarks as “politically motivated” and based on a “lack of understanding of the factual situation”.“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,”the Karnataka CM said.
What is the Karnataka eviction matter?
According to reports, more than 200 houses in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony in Kogilu village near Yelahanka were demolished last week as part of a drive by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML). Reports said the houses were removed to clear encroachments for a proposed solid waste processing unit. BSWML, in a statement, said approximately 5 acres of land earmarked for it was encroached upon, with more than 150 temporary sheds and houses constructed on the site, TOI reported. The operation was carried out with police protection and involved multiple civic and administrative agencies.
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