Kogilu Demolition: KC Venugopal Speaks To Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah & DK Shivakumar, Raises AICC Concern Against Bulldozer Action

Bengaluru: Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal on Saturday spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar regarding the demolition drive in Bengaluru that left hundreds of people, mostly from the Muslim community, homeless.

Taking to X, the Congress MP said, "Spoke to Karnataka CM @siddaramaiah and DCM @DKShivakumar 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 added.

He further said, "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."

The demolition drive, carried out in Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout in Kogilu village in the early hours of December 22, left nearly 400 families homeless.

Earlier on Friday, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijan had taken a dig at the Karnataka government clearing encroachment on government land by demolishing 200 illegal constructions, terming it as `buldozer justice against minorities'.

"The bulldozing of Faqir Colony and Waseem Layout in Bengaluru, uprooting Muslim families who have lived there for years, exposes the brutal normalisation of 'bulldozer raj,'" he said on X

"Sadly, the Sangh Parivar’s anti-minority politics is now being executed under a Congress Government in Karnataka. When a regime rules through fear and brute force, constitutional values and human dignity become the first casualties. All secular and democratic forces must rally together to resist and defeat this insidious trend," he added.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar shot back saying that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had no proper information and said that the land was earmarked for dumping garbage and the government would not allow unauthorised slums to crop up in nook and corner of Bengaluru city.