In Yelahanka, Bengaluru, 300 houses were demolished in the process of removing encroachment, due to which 3000 people were displaced. After political criticism, the Karnataka government will take a decision on the rehabilitation of the affected in a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister.
Bengaluru: Karnataka government is ready to discuss the crisis related to removal of encroachment in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. An important meeting will be held this evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In this meeting, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivkumar and Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed will also attend. The action to remove encroachments at Kogilu Cross has attracted national attention after CPM raised the issue politically. Following this, on the instructions of the national leadership of the Congress, the Chief Minister of Karnataka has called an emergency meeting today. The government can announce the decision on temporary rehabilitation of about three thousand displaced people today.
After about three hundred houses were demolished by JCB, many people are forced to live on the streets. Many parties including CPM have alleged that ‘bulldozer rule’ is going on in Karnataka. After CPM raised this issue politically, the national leadership of Congress intervened in it. AICC leadership had sought clarification on this. The government plans to build flats for those who have lost their homes. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had reacted sharply on social media, criticizing the bulldozer politics of Karnataka Congress. The Chief Minister had called it the agenda of Sangh Parivar of UP model. In response to this, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka also came forward.
Following Chief Minister Pinarayi’s reaction, CPM took up the issue politically. A CPM delegation visited the Muslim-dominated area of Yelahanka, where around three thousand people have been affected. Only after this did the national leadership realize the danger posed by CPM’s interference. Then AICC sought clarification from the state Congress leaders. AICC Organization General Secretary K.C. Venugopal met Congress state president D.K. Asked for answer from Shivkumar on this. D.K. Shivkumar clarified that it was only an action to remove encroachment and there was no mistake in the process.
Although the leaders are justifying the government action and dismissing Pinarayi’s criticism as political, they believe that the decision to demolish the houses has backfired. For this reason, the government is now considering settling the homeless people by building flats near the demolished houses. The government has directed the district administration to immediately start the survey and other processes for this. The decision on further action on these matters will also be taken in today’s meeting. CPM has intensified its attack on Congress on this issue, and even though P.K. People like Kunhalikutty came to the rescue, but league president Panakkad Sadiq Ali Thangal is not satisfied with the Congress’s clarification.