Union Minister Slams Karnataka Govt for Using Fertile Land for Real Estate

BENGALURU: Union Minister and JDS president HD Kumaraswamy has launched a strong critique against Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for notifying land in Bidadi to allegedly run a real estate business under the guise of the Integrated Township Project. Kumaraswamy challenged the CM to accompany him to the affected villages and understand the genuine concerns of the farmers.

Condemning the Congress government’s move to issue a final notification for land acquisition for the project, despite strong opposition from farmers, Kumaraswamy warned of a legal battle. He told reporters he would fight on behalf of the “annadata” who is losing land. “Let the Chief Minister come to the villages to find out whether the people who are losing land are actually farmers or not. I will also go there,” Kumaraswamy said.

When the farmers have been protesting for 470 days, it is not right to issue a final notification, he said, alleging that the government is out to grab fertile agricultural land for real estate business. He took strong exception to the filing of FIRs against the farmers.

He hit out at Home Minister Priyank Kharge for claiming that no FIR had been filed, and alleged that police and goons had been used to harass farmers. “The tragedy is that people’s representatives who were elected by these people have joined this racket. The government requires the consent of farmers for any notification,” he said. About 80 to 90 per cent of farmers are opposing the project, he added.

Kumaraswamy reiterated that in 2006 when he was CM and had decided to build five townships, including Bidadi, he had dropped the project due to strong opposition from farmers. He condemned CM Shivakumar for renovating the heritage Kumara Krupa Guest House, and joked that if the Congress continues for the next five years, even the Vidhana Soudha could be in danger.