Bengaluru,  27 Dec

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday hit back at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over his criticism of the recent demolition drive in Bengaluru, stating that “senior leaders should not interfere without knowing the facts on the ground”.

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar described Vijayan’s remarks as “unfortunate” and said leaders from outside the state should first understand the city’s ground realities before making political comments. He asserted that the demolition drive was aimed at protecting public land and was not targeted at any particular community.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the area in question was an encroached waste dumpsite and alleged that land mafia elements were attempting to convert it into a slum. He added that the government had acted with sensitivity and provided affected residents an opportunity to relocate.

“We have humanity. We gave people a chance to move to new places. Only a few of them are locals,” Shivakumar said, adding that the government was focused on safeguarding public land and property. “We are not into bulldozers. We are trying to protect public space,” he said.

He also urged the Kerala Chief Minister to refrain from commenting without full knowledge of the situation. “Senior leaders should understand Bengaluru’s issues. We know our city well and do not want slums that encourage land mafia activities,” Shivakumar said.

The Deputy Chief Minister’s remarks came after Vijayan, in a Facebook post, strongly criticised the demolition of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in Bengaluru. Vijayan termed the action “extremely shocking and painful” and alleged that Muslim families had been living in the areas for years.

The Kerala Chief Minister accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of following a “North Indian bulldozer justice model” and questioned how forced evictions could be justified instead of ensuring shelter for the poor. He described the demolitions as reflective of “anti-minority aggressive politics”.