Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar hit out at Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan for interfering in Bengaluru evictions, clarifying the cleared land was a waste pit and denying ‘Bulldozer raj’ accusations. He called the comments a political gimmick.
Shivakumar Hits Out at Kerala CM’s ‘Interference’
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday hit out at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for unnecessarily interfering in evictions on encroached land in Bengaluru.
Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, he said, “It is unfortunate that senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan have commented on this without knowing the facts of the matter. The land which was cleared of encroachment was a solid waste pit. There are many health-related issues in the area due to this. We also have humanity, and we had given them an opportunity to move to other areas. Leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan should not interfere in such matters. The land mafia sets up slums in order to encroach upon the land at a later stage; we won’t let that happen. We are willing to give houses under the Rajiv Gandhi scheme if there are eligible people.”
‘We Don’t Have Bulldozer Culture’
He was replying to the Kerala CM, saying the Karnataka government was involved in ‘Bulldozer raj’ in Bengaluru. “We don’t have bulldozer culture. I appeal to Pinarayi Vijayan not to talk like that. We are only protecting government land in the middle of the city. We will send out a message regarding this to our party leaders in Kerala,” he added.
“Bengaluru is not like other cities; we don’t have many slums. This is Krishna Byre Gowda’s constituency, and he has spoken to officials about it. This has nothing to do with minorities. If there is anyone who is genuinely affected, we will provide them with housing elsewhere. Our government, under the leadership of CM and Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed, has built lakhs of homes for the poor in the state.”
Remarks a ‘Political Gimmick’
Asked about some people protesting in view of Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement, he said, “These are all politically motivated statements and protests. He should not comment on matters of our state without knowing the facts. This is a political gimmick in view of the upcoming Kerala elections.”
Support for Residents with Valid Documents
Asked if the evicted people had any rights, he said, “Whoever lives in Karnataka with valid documents will be provided the necessary support. We have instructed officials to give out clear instructions regarding this.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)