‘Not Into Bullzozers’: DK Shivakumar Rebuts Pinarayi Vijayan’s Criticism Of Bengaluru Demolition Drive | Politics News

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has strongly responded to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticism of a recent demolition drive in Bengaluru, saying leaders should avoid making remarks without understanding the ground realities of another state.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Saturday, Shivakumar termed Vijayan’s comments “unfortunate” and said political leaders from outside Karnataka must first familiarise themselves with the facts before passing judgement. He stressed that the action taken by the state government was aimed at protecting public land and had no communal angle.

According to Shivakumar, the land where the demolition took place was an encroached waste dumpsite. He alleged that land mafia elements were attempting to convert the area into an illegal slum.

“We have humanity. We gave people an opportunity to move to new places. Only a few of them are locals,” he said, adding that the government’s priority was to safeguard public property. “We are not into bulldozers. We are trying to safeguard our land and public property,” he asserted.

The Deputy Chief Minister also made a direct appeal to Vijayan, asking him to refrain from commenting without full knowledge of the situation. “Senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan should know the issues in Bengaluru. We know our city well, and we don’t want to entertain slums that promote land mafia activities,” he said.

Shivakumar’s remarks came after Vijayan posted on Facebook criticising the demolition of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in Bengaluru. The Kerala Chief Minister described the action as “extremely shocking and painful,” claiming that Muslims had been living in the areas for several years.

Vijayan accused the Karnataka government of following a “North Indian bulldozer justice model” and questioned how a Congress-led administration could justify such actions. He also argued that the focus should have been on providing shelter to the poor rather than carrying out evictions.

Further, Vijayan said the demolitions reflected “anti-minority aggressive politics” and expressed surprise that such measures were being taken under a Congress government.

The exchange has added to the growing political debate around urban encroachments, rehabilitation, and the limits of inter-state political criticism, with both leaders standing firm on their respective positions.