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A political row has erupted after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s remark referring to people from Kerala while responding to criticism over the Kogilu demolition drive in Bengaluru, drawing sharp reactions from the BJP and Kerala leaders.
The controversy began when Shivakumar was asked about Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticism of the demolition drive. CM Pinarayi had described the demolition as “anti-minority aggressive politics” and likened it to a “bulldozer raj”, alleging that Muslim residents were being targeted.
Responding to a question on Kerala’s role, Shivakumar said, “We don’t want any Keralites. Our Chief Minister is there, let him do his job.”
The remark triggered an immediate backlash, with the BJP calling it an “anti-Kerala” and “anti-Malayali” statement. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned whether the Congress leadership in Kerala endorsed Shivakumar’s comment. Poonawalla also asked whether senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, an MP from Kerala, agreed with the remark and accused the Congress of hypocrisy over the use of bulldozers in different states.
Poonawalla further alleged that the rivalry between the Left and the Congress had escalated to a point where divisive statements were being made openly.
Former Union minister and Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar also slammed Shivakumar, accusing the Congress of practising divisive politics based on geography, caste, religion and language. He said that for a party that speaks of unity and the Constitution, such remarks were contradictory, and added that by the same logic, people could say they do not want “Italians and half-Italians” interfering in Kerala and India.
DK Shivakumar later clarified that he meant that they didn’t want any interference from the Kerala CM and not that ‘they didn’t want Keralites’.
Defending the Kogilu demolition drive, Shivakumar said the action was aimed at removing recent encroachments on government gomala land earmarked for solid waste management. He maintained that the land was unsafe for habitation, notices had been issued before the demolitions, and relocation had been offered to genuine residents after verification.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that 164 illegal sheds were demolished after due notice and assured that genuine evictees would be rehabilitated following verification.
The controversy stems from a demolition drive carried out by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) on December 20 in Yelahanka’s Waseem Layout and Faqir Colony, where nearly 400 families were reportedly displaced. Officials said the structures were built on government land earmarked for solid waste management and formed part of an encroachment removal exercise. The land, spread over about five acres, is part of a larger gomala land parcel allotted to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which the government has maintained is unsafe for human habitation.
However, residents of the demolished settlements alleged that the evictions were carried out without adequate prior notice and under heavy police presence, forcing families to spend nights in the open during one of Bengaluru’s coldest weeks. Many claimed they had lived in the area for decades and produced Aadhaar cards and electricity bills as proof of long-term residence.