Encroachers’ rehabilitation row: Karnataka BJP panel demands NIA probe, accuses Cong of alloting houses to foreign nationals
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fact-finding committee formed in the backdrop of row surrounding demolition and rehabilitation of encroachers in Kogilu Layout region of Bengaluru by the Congress-led state government after the intervention of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in this matter.
Speaking to the media after submitting a report to the State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra at the party’s state office, Jagannath Bhavan, on Tuesday, Yelahanka BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath said a fact-finding committee led by him had examined the issue in detail.
He also demanded that the incidents related to the eviction of illegal occupants in the Kogilu Layout be handed over to the NIA for investigation.
Vishwanath alleged that there was an attempt to hurriedly provide houses to foreign nationals and reiterated that an NIA probe was necessary due to the involvement of foreign elements.
He demanded that the Congress-led state government immediately evict those who had newly erected huts on government land in Bengaluru.
Vishwanath also alleged that out of the nearly 100 scrap collectors in the Bengaluru city, about 95 per cent were Rohingyas.
“They possess certain identity cards, but when we asked for details, they refused to share them. They admit that they crossed the border by paying money. They also said there are organised groups facilitating illegal entry through West Bengal,” he said.
He claimed that their language was neither Hindi nor Urdu and was difficult to understand.
“One can clearly identify Bangla and Rohingya languages. Recently, we even heard a woman chanting ‘Jai Bangla’ on a television channel. They are living here openly and fearlessly,” he said.
Demanding action against the Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals, BJP MLA Vishwanath said reports suggested that more than two lakh Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals were present in the state.
“All such cases must be verified, and those found illegal should be arrested and either deported or proceeded against legally,” he demanded.
He said houses built over stormwater drains had been demolished, and in Kacharakanahalli, huts were set on fire for allegedly encroaching upon a lake.
“No compensation was given even in those cases,” he noted.
Referring to issues related to housing in Bengaluru, BJP MLA Vishwanath said that more than 15,000 people were waiting after applying for houses in the city.
“Illegal allotment of houses or grant of assistance in violation of rules should not be allowed. Everything must be done strictly as per rules and not under the guise of humanitarian considerations,” he added.
He alleged that while people who migrated from places like Kalaburagi and were evicted after illegally occupying land were not given compensation, support was being extended to foreign nationals.
“The BJP will not accept such appeasement under any circumstances. A thorough verification must be conducted by our competent police machinery,” he said.
Referring to reactions from Kerala leaders, BJP MLA Vishwanath said, “Didn’t the Kerala Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) and Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal make a lot of noise? Not a single person in the eviction list is from Kerala. All this drama was done for votes in Kerala.”
He said the state had been sacrificed for political interests elsewhere.
“Whether they are from Kerala or not is irrelevant, but our state has been made a victim for political reasons. There is not a single person from Kerala in the list of those whose residential structures are demolished. There is not even a single Christian. In the list available with us, the majority are Muslims,” he claimed.
BJP MLAs S.R. Vishwanath and S. Muniraju, State BJP Vice-President Malavika Avinash, State BJP General Secretary H.C. Thammesh Gowda, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, retired IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, and other party leaders were present on the occasion.
A fact-finding team was appointed to examine the eviction of alleged illegal residents in the Kogilu Layout area submitted its report on Monday to the State BJP President Vijayendra.
The fact-finding team was constituted under the leadership of Yelahanka MLA Vishwanath to examine the sequence of events and submit a report.
Karnataka Assembly Opposition leader and BJP leader, R. Ashoka, said that 36 lakh people in Karnataka are waiting for housing after paying deposits.
“After neglecting them, the Congress-led government has fallen silent merely because politicians from Kerala raised objections. Is Karnataka being run by the INDIA bloc government of Kerala?” he asked.
He also alleged that the Karnataka government had released Rs 10 crore as compensation for a death caused by an elephant attack, claiming that the elephant had strayed from Karnataka forests.
“Are we servants of another state’s leadership?” BJP leader Ashoka chided the Congress government.
Referring to an X post by the Kerala Chief Minister, BJP leader Ashoka said, “The Kerala CM has stated that he will raise his voice on issues related to Muslims in any part of the country. Is our government accountable to them?”
BJP leader Ashoka also criticised the Congress government’s approach to language issues.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the importance of mother tongues, but the Kerala government has adopted a negative approach. In Kerala’s Kasaragod district, where Kannadigas are in the majority, Kannada-speaking people are being targeted. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has merely washed his hands of the issue by posting on social media,” he alleged.
On the demolition of houses carried out in Kogilu Layout area, BJP leader Ashoka said the BJP had staged protests and announced that a major convention would be held on January 17 to protest the violence in Ballari and the alleged high-handedness of the police against BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy.
“We will question the breakdown of law and order in the state,” he added.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said that law and order had collapsed in the state and that the state government’s biased approach was evident.
“These concerns have been brought to the notice of the Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot,” he said.
Referring to the Kogilu demolitions and the rehabilitation of encroachers, Narayanaswamy said the state government had committed a serious blunder.
“Demolishing encroachments and then providing housing to encroachers is completely wrong. This issue needs to be discussed,” he added.
