Kogilu demolition draws Pak attention | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: The demolition of hutments in Kogilu has attracted international attention, reportedly sparking a diplomatic row with Pakistan. On Dec 20, 167 unauthorised temporary sheds in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony were razed on grounds of encroachment.The issue escalated after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the Karnataka govt, claiming the majority of affected residents were religious minorities and alleging targeted action against Muslim communities. Close on the heels of this development, Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement accusing Indian authorities of harassing Muslims, demolishing homes with state support, and interfering with religious celebrations, labelling it a serious concern for minorities in India.
India too responded firmly. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed Pakistan’s statements as unacceptable and hypocritical,” adding, “India rejects comments coming from a country whose own record on minority rights is abysmal.” He further said that Pakistan’s systematic and horrific victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well-documented fact, and no amount of finger-pointing can hide that reality.” Officials clarified that Pakistan’s remarks were made without understanding the ground situation or official reports and were aimed at defaming India internationally.Domestically, the political row intensified with parties criticising each other for alleged vote bank politics. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said: “There is no question of giving the New Year gift to encroachers as we are not in favour of appeasement politics as alleged by opposition BJP and JD(S). We have reports about miscreants collecting money from the victims to give title deeds and we only want to help such vulnerable poor by allotting houses under the PM Awas scheme.“Union minister Shobha Karandlaje, highlighting alleged illegal immigration, said: “While there is a deeper conspiracy of including the infiltrators from Bangladesh and Myanmar, local politics also has played its role in the Kogilu episode. A thorough investigation needs to expose this and find out antecedents of the encroachers of the govt land.”Civil society groups warned that displaced families were being used for political gain. M Venkataswamy, president of Samatha Sainika Dala, said: “All major parties are indulging in appeasing their respective vote banks taking the political advantage of the Kogilu demolition. The poor people are being blatantly used as pawns by these parties for their political game.”Meanwhile, the govt has ordered rehabilitation for all verified victims. Eligible families will receive alternative housing at Byappanahalli at a cost of Rs 11.2 lakh per house, following verification of documents, aiming to address humanitarian concerns amid the growing international spotlight.
