Don’t interfere in Karnataka’s affairs: Shivakumar tells Kerala CM on bulldozer remark
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Saturday asked Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan not to interfere in his state’s affairs, hitting out at the latter for his bulldozer model remark.
CM Vijayan had reportedly said, “The Karnataka government is using a ‘bulldozer model’ on the lines of Uttar Pradesh to evict Muslims in Bengaluru.”
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, said, “Without knowing the facts, Mr Pinarayi should not interfere in our state’s affairs. These are political gimmicks ahead of elections. Those evicted with valid documents and those belonging to Karnataka will certainly be helped.”
“At that location, huts had come up overnight. After discussions with local representatives and officers, an order was issued to vacate the land, and the area has now been cleared. We are doing this work without troubling anyone. Those who are eligible will be rehabilitated. The slum had come up at the quarry site notified 10 years ago for garbage dumping,” he claimed
Calling the Kerala CM’s remarks unfortunate, Shivakumar said senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan should first understand the facts in Bengaluru.
“Some people have encroached on a quarry pit that is being used as a solid waste dumping site. It is a dangerous area with serious health hazards, and they attempted to occupy it illegally,” he said.
“We know Bengaluru well and do not want land mafia to create slums. We are protecting government land,” Shivakumar underlined.
The eligible were being provided houses under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme, he claimed.
Claiming that the state government did not use bulldozers at all, Shivakumar said, “We only vacated a public place in the heart of the city. It is a site earmarked for garbage dumping, and we cannot allow encroachment there.”
He alleged that the protests at the site were politically motivated.