Stating that the North Indian model "bulldozer justice" is stepping into South India, the Kerala chief minister said it was surprising that such an episode had occurred in Congress-ruled Karnataka.
Published Dec 28, 2025 | 1:36 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 28, 2025 | 1:36 PM
Around 300 homes were demolished in Kogilu village near Bengaluru in Karnataka.
Synopsis: An interstate political row erupted between the CPI(M) in Kerala and the Karnataka Congress after around 300 homes were demolished by the state government on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The CPI(M) termed the demolition and compared it to the “bulldozer justice” in the North while the Karnataka Congress accused the CPI(M) of interfering in the state’s affairs.
A political row erupted between CPI(M) leaders in Kerala and Congress in Karnataka after the state government bulldozed nearly 300 allegedly “illegal” houses in Kogilu village near Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bengaluru on 20 December, rendering hundreds of Muslim families homeless in a single night.
The Karnataka BJP also stepped in, criticising the state government by claiming that the decisions regarding Karnataka are being taken by the Congress high command.
The drive was carried out by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which claimed that the land had been allotted to them several years ago and was allegedly encroached upon by the residents.
However, several residents who spoke to South First claimed that they did not receive any written notice prior to the eviction and have been ‘rightful residents’ of the area for over two decades.
The issue took on a political colour on Friday after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the demolition drive, comparing it with the “anti-minority aggressive politics implemented by Sangh Parivar in North India.”
“The action of destroying Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout with a bulldozer, where Muslim people have been living in the capital city of Karnataka for years, is extremely shocking and painful,” Vijayan said in a post on Facebook.
Stating that the North Indian model “bulldozer justice” is stepping into South India, the Kerala chief minister said it was surprising that such an episode had occurred in Congress-ruled Karnataka.
Vijayan’s remarks drew sharp reactions from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who accused him of interfering in the state’s affairs.
On Saturday, in a post on X, Siddaramaiah claimed that several people had “illegally” erected makeshift shelters at the waste-disposal site in the Kogilu Layout. “It is not a place suitable for human habitation,” he said.
Despite issuing notices on multiple occasions directing the families to relocate, Siddaramaiah claimed the residents failed to comply. “Under these circumstances, it became unavoidable to clear the encroachment and vacate the site,” he said.
The chief minister said that he spoke to the GBA and directed that temporary shelter, food, and other essential facilities be arranged for all those affected.
He further drew a distinction between “bulldozer justice” and what he claimed was “lawful removal of illegal encroachments.” “The criticism being made by Pinarayi Vijayan is politically motivated and reflects a lack of understanding of the factual situation,” he said.
Toeing along the same line, Shivakumar on Saturday urged Vijayan to “not interfere” in the affairs of the state without complete knowledge of the facts.
“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,” he said, while speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence.
He claimed that “land mafia” sets up slums in order to encroach upon the land at a later stage and that the government won’t let that happen. The state is willing to give houses to eligible people under the Rajiv Gandhi scheme, he said.
Shivakumar also reiterated that Karnataka doesn’t have “bulldozer culture” and that they are only protecting government land in the middle of the city. “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 upcoming Kerala elections,” the deputy chief minister charged.
The row widened after Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Kerala MP KC Venugopal weighed in, signalling intervention by the party high command.
In a post on X, Venugopal said that he spoke to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar about the demolitions. “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,” he said.
He further said that the Karnataka chief minister and deputy chief minister 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 controversy did not end with Vijayan’s statement. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP AA Rahim visited the demolition site on Saturday along with party workers from Kerala and leaders of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) in Karnataka.
In a detailed social media post, Rahim alleged that bulldozers razed 180 to 200 houses within three hours, rendering several Muslims and Dalits homeless. He attached multiple pictures and videos from his visit to the post.
Dismissing the Karnataka government’s justification that the action targeted “illegal immigrants”, Rahim asserted that residents possessed official documents, including Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and ration cards, with civil society groups maintaining that many also held land titles.
Another senior CPI(M) leader, M Swaraj, accused the Congress government of turning long-time residents into refugees overnight. Taking a dig at poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu, Swaraj claimed there was allegedly a coordinated campaign on social media to justify the demolitions.
“Kanugolu’s mercenaries have come out with justification essays despite the protests rising beyond politics against the inhumane eviction of the Congress government in Karnataka…Only 150 houses have been demolished! Only a thousand people have a problem!! Only eighty percent of those thrown into the streets are Muslims!!! Medical camp has been organised for the displaced so they are happy…… This is how Kanugolu’s hired workers’ argument goes,” Swaraj claimed in his social media post.
The Karnataka BJP has also entered the fray, using the controversy to attack the Congress government and highlight what it claims is a leadership tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
BJP State President BY Vijayendra claimed it was a matter of concern as to who the people of Karnataka actually elected. He then posed a question to the government: “After passionately defending the government’s actions in Kogilu village and sermonising on X to the Kerala CM yesterday, will you show the same courage and address that message to your AICC boss K C Venugopal? Or did your stand conveniently change after a call from Delhi?”
The BJP leader further alleged that every major decision is shaped in Delhi, not Bengaluru, as the “CM and DCM are locked in a relentless power struggle, with both fixated on the CM’s chair.” “Karnataka deserves accountable leadership, not puppet rulers dancing to the tunes of an invisible hand of their unelected High Command,” Vijayendra stated.
Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka asked in a post on X, whether Venugopal was a “super CM” or “does the Congress high command believe elected state governments function on Delhi diktats?”
“Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected Chief Minister and Cabinet, not by an AICC General Secretary. Expressing a party opinion is one thing, issuing moral sermons and pressure tactics on a state government is blatant overreach and an insult to federalism,” Ashoka said in a post on X.
He further asked whether Venugopal had shown the same urgency when medical and other waste from Kerala was being “illegally dumped” along Karnataka’s borders, threatening Bandipur, forest regions, public health, and wildlife. Calling it “selective outrage”, Ashoka said, “This is not about humanity or sensitivity, it’s about Congress high-command politics, Kerala appeasement, and election optics, especially when Priyanka Gandhi represents Kerala,” Ashoka claimed.
Meanwhile, displaced residents from the area maintained that they weren’t informed about the demolition prior to the drive and that no official from the GBA or the government had made a public statement until the political backlash triggered by Vijayan’s statement. They have been taking shelter in an open space in a nearby government school, at a time when Bengaluru is witnessing one of its harshest winters in recent years.
As of Sunday morning, the families still haven’t been provided with any relief measures or an alternate place to reside, according to Shazia, a member of Dudiyuva Janara Vedike (DJV), one of the organisations that is assisting the affected families.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
