Karnataka govt executing Sangh Parivar’s anti-minority politics: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday compared the Congress government in Karnataka to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and accused it of executing anti-minority politics. He wrote on X that the Karnataka Congress government has evicted Muslim families who have been living for years in a colony in Bengaluru, adopting a bulldozer ‘policy of the state’. Pinarayi Vijayan said it is unfortunate that the minority-opposing politics of the Sangh Parivar is now being followed by the Congress government in Karnataka as well.

In a post on X, Vijayan said, “When a regime rules through fear and brute force, constitutional values and human dignity become the first casualties,” drawing parallels with practices widely criticised in northern states.

Reacting to the accusation, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that external leaders should not interfere in such matters and it is regrettable that a senior leader like Pinarayi has commented on the issue without having full information about it.

From December 20 to 23, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) demolished homes in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony in the city. It is claimed that these colonies had around 200 houses, housing approximately one thousand people.

Also Read: Chinks in Congress exposed?: Digvijaya Singh shares old photo of PM Modi, stirs row with BJP, RSS praise

‘Houses demolished without notice,’ say families

The affected families allege that BSWML carried out the demolition action without any prior notice to them. They said they were forcibly removed from their homes in the presence of police, after which bulldozers were used to demolish their houses. BSWML officials said that all the demolished houses were built illegally on government land.

Also Read: Congress to launch ‘MGNREGA Bachao’ campaign on Jan 5, demand repeal of VB-G RAM G Act: Kharge

‘Congress govt does not believe in bulldozer culture,’ says Deputy CM

Shivakumar hit back at Pinarayi Vijayan over his criticism of the Bengaluru demolition drive, and said the Congress government does not believe in “bulldozer culture” and had acted only to protect government land from encroachment.

Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, the Deputy CM said the demolished structures stood on encroached government land that was being used as a solid waste dumping site.

Also Read: Yearender 2025: The year of wars, tariff turmoil, and climate disasters

“The land that was cleared of encroachment was a solid waste pit. There are many health-related issues in the area due to this. We also have humanity, and we had given them an opportunity to move to other areas,” he said.

Rejecting the ‘bulldozer raj’ charge, Shivakumar added, “We don’t have bulldozer culture. I appeal to Pinarayi Vijayan not to talk like that. We are only protecting government land in the middle of the city.”

He also alleged the role of the land mafia in such settlements. “Land mafia sets up slums in order to encroach upon the land at a later stage. We will not allow that to happen,” he said, while assuring that eligible residents would be rehabilitated.