Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 29 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that locals and eligible evictees regarding the demolition drive in Kogilu village near Yelahanka in Bengaluru would be rehabilitated under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing scheme.
Reacting to Congress general secretary KC Venugopal conveying the All India Congress Committee (AICC's) serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with caution, the Deputy CM stated that he has given suggestions and not interfered in the governance.
Speaking at his Sadashivanagar residence on Sunday, Shivakumar said, "KC Venugopal has not interfered in the governance of the state. He is the General Secretary of our party and has given us suggestions. Don't the BJP National President advise state BJP leaders? I have got the details of the evictees. The law is the same for all communities. The CM has called for a meeting tomorrow. I have got the details that one person has taken money and encouraged people to put up sheds in the government land." He was replying to the BJP's criticism of K C Venugopal's tweet.
Reacting to BJP leader Ashwath Narayan's statement that Venugopal must not interfere in the state's affairs, he said, "He is giving such statements to stay relevant in the party. They give statements because you carry them. I am not bothered about such statements."
KC Venugopal spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar on Saturday regarding the demolition drive, which has evoked strong criticism in political circles.
"Spoke to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar regarding the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Kogilu village, Bengaluru. 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 posted on X.
The Congress leader said that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have assured that an appropriate mechanism for addressing grievances will be put in place along with rehabilitation for the affected families.
"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 said.
Earlier, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and local residents held protests, condemning the demolition drive in Yelahanka and demanding immediate rehabilitation of the displaced people. SDPI Karnataka General Secretary Mujahid Pasha demanded shelter and fulfilment of basic needs for the dislocated people.
Speaking to ANI, Mujahid Pasha said, "The DCM and Ministers here say that the people here are illegal immigrants. And that this is a place for solid waste management... The government of Karnataka has failed in considering humanity... The Housing Minister did not visit even once, even though he should have provided alternative rehabilitation and some assistance to the affected people. This has become a national issue. Eviction politics run in the BJP government. Now the Congress government is repeating the same. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has tweeted that Congress and BJP are doing the same. We demand shelter and fulfilment of basic needs for the dislocated people."
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that suitable housing arrangements would be provided to people who were evicted from makeshift shelters at a waste dumping site in the Kogilu Badavane area near Yelahanka in Bengaluru.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister said that the land was unfit for human habitation and had been encroached upon.
Siddaramaiah said, "Many had encroached upon and built makeshift shelters at the waste dumping site in the Kogilu Badavane area near Yelahanka in Bengaluru, a location unfit for human habitation. Despite issuing notices multiple times to the families there to relocate elsewhere, they did not respond. In this context, they have inevitably been evicted from that site."
"I have spoken with the Commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and instructed them to make arrangements for temporary shelter, food, and other necessities for all of them. Most of those who were residing there encroaching upon the land are migrant workers, not local residents, yet even so, from a humanitarian perspective, we will ensure suitable housing arrangements for them," he further said.