New Delhi [India], December 28 (ANI): Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Saturday spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar regarding the demolition drive in Kogilu village near Yelahanka in Bengaluru, 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 in the day, 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.

Earlier, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar took a sharp jibe at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over his criticism of the recent demolition drive in Bengaluru, asserting that 'senior leaders should not interfere without knowing the facts on the ground.'

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar described Vijayan's remarks as 'unfortunate' and said leaders from outside the state must first understand Bengaluru's realities before making political comments. The Deputy CM maintained that the action was aimed at protecting public land and not targeted at any community.

Shivakumar said the area in question was an encroached waste dumpsite and alleged that land mafia interests were behind attempts to turn it into a slum.

'We have humanity. We gave people an opportunity to move to new places. Only a few of them are locals,' he said, adding that the government was trying to protect public space. 'We are not into bulldozers. We are trying to safeguard our land and public property,' he asserted.

Shivakumar also appealed directly to the Kerala Chief Minister to refrain from commenting without full knowledge of the situation. 'Senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan should know the issues in Bengaluru. We know our city well, and we don't want to entertain slums that promote land mafia activities,' he said.

The Deputy CM's response came after Vijayan, in a post on Facebook, strongly criticised the demolition of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in Bengaluru. Vijayan termed the action 'extremely shocking and painful', alleging that Muslims had been living in these areas for years and accusing the Karnataka government of following a 'North Indian bulldozer justice model'. (ANI)