Bengaluru: BJP Stages Protest in Kogilu Against Housing for Eviction Victims

The protest, held near the Country Club on Bagalur Main Road under the slogan 'Save Kogilu, Remove Illegal Immigrants', was led by BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and other BJP MLAs and MLCs.

Addressing reporters, senior BJP leader Ashoka said the agitation was aimed at protecting Karnataka's land, which he said belongs to the people of the state and should be distributed only to them.

He alleged that police stopped BJP workers nearly three kilometres away from the protest site, calling the move unfair.

Ashoka said the issue had been politicised and linked it to developments in Kerala politics.

Criticising the Congress leadership, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he alleged that the government was using Karnataka's land for political gain.

"Karnataka has limited land resources, and the land belongs to the people of the state, not to any individual leader," he said, adding that if Congress leaders wanted to support the move, they should offer their own land.

BJP state president Vijayendra questioned the government's decision to provide housing to those whose homes were demolished after initially deciding to remove illegal structures.

He alleged that the decision amounted to a reversal under political pressure.

He further alleged that the move to allot houses to alleged illegal migrants from Bangladesh was unacceptable and claimed the public was questioning whether the state was being governed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or Congress leader K C Venugopal.

Vijayendra also questioned the demolition of houses without proper verification of documents and said the BJP would approach the court if required.

He accused the government of misusing taxpayers' money, stating that while around 38 lakh poor people had applied for housing, no houses had been allotted to them in the last two-and-a-half years.

Earlier, Karnataka Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh had said on Thursday that only 90 families evicted from Fakir Colony in Kogilu Layout were eligible for compensatory housing, dismissing claims that around 400 families would be accommodated.

Officials said the demolition of houses at Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony in Kogilu on December 20 was carried out by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited to clear encroachments for a proposed solid waste processing unit.

BJP leader C N Ashwath Narayan alleged that a large number of illegal Bangladeshi migrants had settled in Karnataka and were being extended government benefits at the cost of genuine beneficiaries.

He claimed that more than 25 lakh people of Bangladeshi origin were living in the state and accused the government of failing to identify and act against them.

"Genuine applicants who applied eight or ten years ago and paid money are still waiting for houses, while alleged illegal Bangladeshi migrants are being allotted flats. This is appeasement politics. The law is not being upheld, and vote-bank politics is being pursued for electoral gains," he alleged.