BJP slams govt’s move to house displaced families

A decision by the Karnataka government to provide alternate housing to families displaced by a demolition drive in north Bengaluru has triggered political exchange, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Congress of appeasement politics and the government insisting that the relief is limited to eligible beneficiaries on humanitarian grounds.

The dispute follows the demolition of more than 400 houses in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony in Kogilu on December 20 by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited. Officials said the structures were illegal and claimed that many of the occupants were migrants from other states. The action, which largely affected Muslim families, drew criticism from political leaders and civil society groups and quickly escalated into a broader controversy.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra criticised the government’s decision to rehabilitate those displaced by the drive, alleging that it amounted to favouritism. Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, where he was attending programmes at a Lingayat math, Vijayendra said the government had initially acted correctly by evicting what he described as illegal settlers and demolishing their houses, but later reversed its position.

“The state government’s decision to allot houses in Bengaluru to illegal immigrants from Kerala is based on the policy of minority appeasement. BJP will organise intensive protests against it across the state,” Vijayendra said.

He alleged that the government made a “U turn” after facing criticism from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Congress high command, and said that those displaced had now been promised houses in Bengaluru. Arguing that public housing should be prioritised for local residents, he said, “The houses built by the government with taxpayers’ money are meant for poor Kannadigas, not Malayalees. The government should prioritise distributing houses to the people of Karnataka. If any houses are left, then, the settlers can be considered.”

Vijayendra also linked the rehabilitation decision to what he described as the Congress government’s misplaced priorities. He criticised the alleged delay in paying compensation to farmers who had suffered crop losses, while acting swiftly on housing for those displaced in Kogilu. “We wonder if the Karnataka CM has any functional autonomy. He seems to be listening to the party high command only to save his shaky chair,” he said.

He accused Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of trying to impress central party leaders while competing for the chief minister’s post. “They have no regard for the interests of the people of the state. They are just following orders of their leaders, like Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal,” Vijayendra said. He added that if Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed wanted to allot houses to those displaced, “let him build houses on his private property.”

Vijayendra further said that the Congress government’s policy of appeasement had continued despite what he described as embarrassing incidents, including slogans raised inside the Vidhana Soudha and the burning of a Dalit MLA’s residence in Bengaluru.

The Congress government rejected the allegations. Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar said the decision to provide alternate housing was a humanitarian measure and would apply only to those eligible under the Chief Minister’s housing scheme. “Some people are saying that they were given a title deed. It is being examined,” Shivakumar said. “Some who have come from outside have also joined in encroachment. We have documents. If their names are there genuinely in the voter list and other documents, we will rehabilitate such people.”

He said the government was not legalising illegal construction. “We are not making an illegal thing legal, but we are helping genuine homeless people with proper documents,” he said. Responding to the BJP’s charge of Muslim appeasement, Shivakumar said, “There is no question of any appeasement politics. No one should indulge in illegal encroachment. We are not ready to give any gifts to illegal encroachers.”

He added that legal action would be taken against those behind the encroachment, noting that statements had emerged alleging that money was collected from people to allow them to construct houses on the land.

The demolition drew criticism beyond Karnataka, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan describing it as a “brutal normalisation of the bulldozer raj.” The controversy prompted Congress general secretary K C Venugopal to convey the party high command’s serious concern to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, saying such actions should have been carried out with greater caution, sensitivity and compassion, keeping their human impact at the centre.

Amid the political backlash, the Karnataka government announced rehabilitation for what it described as “genuine” victims on humanitarian grounds. Asked about criticism from leaders in Kerala, Shivakumar dismissed the remarks. “Let them condemn and do whatever they want. We know how to run our state,” he said, adding that Karnataka did not want interference from neighbouring states in its administration.