Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 14 : Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday urged Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar not to "destroy the livelihood of the farmers" over the proposed Bidadi township project and called on him to withdraw the FIRs registered against protesting farmers.
Addressing the press conferences on the issue, Deve Gowda appealed to Shivakumar to reconsider the project, saying the livelihood of farmers should not be compromised.
"There are many other ways for you to fulfil your promises to the High Command. Don't destroy the livelihood of the farmers. Don't push me to sit with farmers and support them against the township project," he said.
The JD(S) patriarch also questioned Shivakumar's intentions behind the proposed township project, alleging that it was linked to his political ambitions.
"By removing Siddaramaiah to become the CM, have you (DK Shivakumar) made a promise to sacrifice the lives of farmers by building a township? What all promises you made to your high command to become CM, you're trying to fulfil it by pledging these Bidadi farmers' land by converting it into a township project," Deve Gowda alleged.
He said he had deliberately stayed away from the protest site in Bidadi to avoid accusations of instigating the agitation. "I didn't go to the protesting place in Bidadi because I don't want to take the blame that I provoked farmers," he said.
Calling for action from the state government, the former Prime Minister urged Shivakumar to withdraw the cases filed against the protesters. "Withdraw the FIRs filed against farmers and it should be your prime duty, CM DK Shivakumar. You must understand the pain of the farmers," he said.
The JD(S) leader also acknowledged that the government was acting in accordance with the law but urged it to take a compassionate view of the farmers' concerns. "Yes, you're following the law. But you know what, all decisions were taken at different times by the government. Please consider it," he added.
The remarks come amid continued opposition from farmers to the Karnataka government's proposed township project in Bidadi, with protesters expressing concerns over the acquisition of agricultural land and its impact on their livelihoods.
Protests intensified after hundreds of farmers, predominantly women wielding brooms, chased away government survey teams. Farmers damaged vehicles and clashed with police, forcing a halt to the survey.
The Karnataka government's proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) has sparked strong opposition from farmers and triggered a political row over land acquisition. Envisioned as India's first "AI-powered city" in Bidadi, around 40 km from Bengaluru, the project covers nearly 9,600 acres and requires the acquisition of vast stretches of fertile agricultural land.