Debris, resistance and political sabotage: Inside Bengaluru’s Kogilu demolition india news

As you enter Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout in north Bengaluru, there is little to suggest that hundreds of families lived here until just a few days ago. What once stood on a cement stone foundation is now a heap of broken bricks, twisted tin sheets, broken furniture and clothes buried under the debris. The streets are unrecognizable. The smell of dust still lingers in the air.

The children are sitting on the debris of what was once their home. Women sift through the remains in hopes of finding school books, utensils or documents. The men stand in small groups, talking in hushed voices, watching the officers’ every move with suspicion.

More than 200 houses were destroyed in Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout in Kogilu village near Yelahanka in a demolition drive carried out in the early hours of 20 December. Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), claimed that the land was illegally encroached upon and earmarked for a solid waste processing unit.

Residents say that they have been living here for decades and no written notice was given before the arrival of the bulldozers.

For families sitting amid the debris, the questions are simple – where will they sleep tonight, and will the promises made in the heat of the political battle, be it by politicians from Karnataka or Kerala, translate into roofs over their heads? The families, who are waiting for food to be served by social organizations, want to be taken to a safe house with a roof and not have to suffer.

Salima and Fakruddin, who make small dholaks and sell them at traffic signals and MG Road, say they spent more than 20 years saving every rupee to build a modest house.

“We are poor people. We saved every penny so that we could live under one roof,” Fakruddin said. “Around 6.30 in the morning, they came, asked us to remove our LPG cylinder and then brought the JCB. Our children did not even get time to pick up their books or clothes.”

A few meters away, Hussain, a young auto driver, has taken the lead in organizing residents. He is collecting Aadhaar cards and documents to hand over to state Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.

Pointing to the debris, Hussain said, “They have assured us that we will be given houses. We hope the government will keep its promise.”

Fabricator Sharif says he has every document – ​​voter ID card, gas connection and electricity bill. “We have voted in local elections. MLAs and MPs have come here to seek votes. How are we illegal now?” he asked.

For many women, the fear is immediate and personal. Rameeza Begum and Sameera, both domestic workers, moved here after marriage.

“My husband died in a road accident. I work in homes to take care of my two sons,” Rameeza said. “They study in a school nearby. I was told that this land was allotted earlier. Now they are asking for the papers. We are searching for them in a house that has been reduced to dust.”

Bilkis and her sister Shahina moved to Bengaluru from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. Both of them got married here; Her husband works as a mason. “They not only broke our house, they also crushed our lives,” Bilkis said with tears rolling down her cheeks. “They could have run over us. What have we done to deserve this?”

In the other corner, as cameras gather, Nafisa adjusts her disabled daughter’s dress. She says that they have not eaten food since morning.

“The nights are cold and the days are hot. My neighbor Syed is on a wheelchair. They showed no mercy. They asked us to go away and used a JCB to enter our house,” he said.

Residents say those affected include newborn babies, pregnant women and senior citizens. Some people also claim that animals died during the demolition.

Mainly poor Dalit, Muslim and Fakir families lived in this area. The scale, timing and manner of the demolitions have fueled allegations of selective action and lack of due process.

Beyond the wreckage, the story has taken on a larger political meaning. Within hours the matter spread beyond the borders of Karnataka.

Political flashpoint as soon as Kerala enters the fray

What started as a demolition drive to remove alleged encroachment has now turned into a cross-border political confrontation, involving the chief ministers of Kerala and Karnataka.

Neighboring Kerala’s ruling LDF jumped into the controversy, triggering a political confrontation between the Congress government of Karnataka and the Left government of Kerala.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused Karnataka of importing Uttar Pradesh-style “bulldozer justice” to South India. “The destruction of Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout, where Muslim families have been living for years in Bengaluru, is shocking and painful,” Vijayan said in a Facebook post. He described it as an example of “aggressive anti-minority politics”.

Critics in Karnataka allege that CPI(M)’s sharp attack also has its roots in Kerala politics. The Muslim community’s support for the Congress-led UDF in recent elections has been a sore point for the Left, and the Kogilu demolition has provided an opportunity for the Congress to show itself as no different from the BJP on minority issues.

Kerala MPs and MLAs soon visited the demolition site, escalating the confrontation. This interference did not go down well with the Karnataka Congress, which accused Vijayan of interference and political opportunism.

LDF leader from Kerala spoke to News18

Former Kerala minister and CPI(M) MLA KT Jaleel, who visited the spot, told News18 in an exclusive interview that the issue transcends party lines.

“Across the country, the BJP is starting ‘bulldozer raj’. Such activity has happened in Karnataka too,” Jaleel said. “The issue is not whether it is BJP or Congress. The issue is that the houses of the poor are being demolished – houses of poor people and minorities.”

Saying that citizens have the right to speak and he was there to raise his voice for the oppressed and those facing injustice under the “bulldozer” rule of the Congress, Jaleel said: “Every citizen has the right to go to such places and raise his voice for the oppressed communities. This is not for votes. There are no elections here.”

“If the Karnataka government does not take adequate steps for the people, the people of Kerala will come forward and help the displaced people,” he said.

Jaleel also accused Karnataka Congress of hypocrisy. “Such activities are going on under Congress in Karnataka and they should be exposed. Congress claims it is secular, but those who are being evicted are minorities, Muslims.”

When asked if the outrage was due to minority politics, Jalil immediately denied. “Definitely not,” he told News18. Describing the demolition as “cruel and inhumane”, he said a notice should have been issued. “If the Karnataka government had looked into the matter and stopped it, we would not have come here. This is not about votes or politics.”

Why is Kerala interfering?

Critics say Kerala’s sharp reaction has less to do with Karnataka alone and more to do with domestic politics. With the local body elections underway, in which minority access became a central issue in the political battle between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, the support extended by minorities to the UDF has hurt the ruling LDF. Political analysts say that the inclination of the Muslim community towards the UDF in the recent elections has been a matter of concern for the Left.

The Kogilu demolition somehow offered an opening – an opportunity for the Congress to differentiate itself from the BJP when it comes to demolitions affecting and targeting minorities.

Opposition and pressure within Karnataka

Before the demolition, protests had started in front of the residence of Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda in Sahakar Nagar last week demanding relief from bulldozing action. More than 200 residents sought alternative accommodation and temporary shelters. Gowda, who represents Byatarayanapura constituency, is said to have assured discussions with the affected families.

The Karnataka BJP also accused the Congress government of acting under instructions from the party high command and mishandling the issue.

The “bulldozer” has clearly put the Congress government on the backfoot. Embarrassed by the developments in Bengaluru, the party high command finally had to take action.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal spoke to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and conveyed the party’s “serious concern” over the demolition.

In a post on He said the Karnataka leadership assured him that they would personally connect with the affected families, set up a grievance redressal mechanism and ensure rehabilitation and relief.

The intervention indicated unease within the Congress over the prospects of demolition, especially as the party seeks to establish itself at the national level as a counter to the bulldozer politics of the BJP.

Karnataka government’s counterattack

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have strongly defended the demolition, insisting that it was the lawful removal of illegal encroachment.

Siddaramaiah said many people have built temporary shelters at the waste disposal site unfit for human habitation. “Despite issuing notices several times directing the families to relocate, they failed to comply. Under the circumstances, it became inevitable to clear the encroachment,” he said.

He rejected the “bulldozer justice” label and described Vijayan’s criticism as politically motivated.

Shivakumar also echoed the same sentiment and urged the Kerala Chief Minister not to intervene without knowing the facts. Alleging the role of land mafia in setting up slums to encroach on government land, he said, “The land was a solid waste pit, which had serious health hazards. We gave people a chance to relocate. Karnataka does not have a bulldozer culture.”

He said that eligible residents will be given houses under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme.

A humanitarian crisis amid political stances

In Kogilu, politics seems distant to families sleeping under tarpaulin sheets on cleared ground. Many people have refused to leave out of fear that authorities might erect a fence once the area is cleared.

Mochi Harish said, “We refuse to leave this place and go to the allotted shelter because they will fence this area and remove us permanently. We need to see what other space is being provided to us. We do not need temporary shelters or camps.”

Residents allege that no basic facilities have been provided. Food and water are being arranged by social and religious organizations, but they do not have space for daily needs.

A food and porridge center set up three kilometers away remains largely unused, with families unwilling to leave the place.

Former Union Minister CM Ibrahim had timed his visit around the time of Jalil’s visit. Ibrahim demanded either a house on the same land or a compensation of Rs 5 lakh per family. He also questioned those leaders who ask for votes and disappear during times of crisis.

For the families of Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout, caught between bulldozers and ballot-box politics, the larger ideological battle offers little immediate relief – even if their homes are destroyed and their future uncertain.