BENGALURU: Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday slammed the State Government for issuing a fresh land acquisition notification affecting four villages under the proposed Bidadi Township Project, despite farmers from three previously notified villages continuing their protests. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the former Karnataka CM termed the government’s move “inhumane, cruel and morally indefensible.”
While Chief Minister DK Shivakumar publicly claimed that no land would be acquired without farmers’ consent, the government had quietly initiated fresh acquisition proceedings, he said. “Those close to him seem to have known about it in advance, as they celebrated by bursting crackers and distributing sweets even before the notification became public. Is this humanity? Is this governance?” he questioned.
The former CM questioned why the State Government had proceeded with issuing fresh notifications despite announcing that a committee would examine the matter. “People are no longer silent. They are prepared to resist. If officials attempt joint surveys of agricultural land without the consent of farmers, do you expect the women of these villages to remain passive? The Chief Minister himself says, ‘Come and beat me with a broom if you want.’ Is this language befitting a CM? It reflects the unfortunate state of governance in Karnataka,” he said.
“You repeatedly say this is not your project and that you do not need it. If that is true, why are you still pursuing it? Withdraw it immediately,” Kumaraswamy said.
The Union Minister said when he was Chief Minister, the Congress, along with farmers, opposed the township proposal. “Respecting their concerns, I scrapped the entire project. I publicly announced this on the floor of the Assembly as well as during my Independence Day address,” he questioned.
The former CM said Shivakumar is making a grave mistake by trying to dispossess poor farmers to benefit someone else. Responding to references made by the Chief Minister regarding DLF, Kumaraswamy said, “You have spoken about DLF. The nature of certain relationships is known to the whole country. When the time is appropriate, I too will place those facts before the people.” Kumaraawamy said Shivakumar repeatedly speaks about going to jail, as though it were a badge of honour. “You did not go to prison during the freedom struggle. Truth always prevails, and that day is not far away,” he said.
NO NEED FOR COMMITTEE, SCRAP PROJECT, SAYS BJP
BJP accused CM DK Shivakumar of practising the politics of deceit and duplicity. State BJP president BY Vijayendra accused the CM of attempting to mislead farmers by announcing a committee to look into Bidadi township project on one hand and issuing a final notification for land acquisition on the other. He said that the BJP will stage a protest on Friday at Freedom Park in Bengaluru against the “lop-sided priorities of the Congress government”.
The state Congress government wants to fill the stomach of the party high command by hitting on the stomach of the Bidadi farmers,” he said, adding that the BJP is opposed to the committee and instead wanted the entire township project be scrapped. “BJP is not against development. But when the farmers are refusing to give up their land, BJP will oppose any attempt of the government to forcibly evict the farmers and usurp their land,” he said. LoP in Assembly R Ashoka said the government has now staged a new drama by forming a committee.