Bidadi Township turns political flashpoint as HDK challenges CM Shivakumar to face farmers | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: A day after the Karnataka government issued the final notification to acquire around 500 acres of land in and around Bidadi for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project, Union Minister and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy launched a blistering attack on the Congress government, accusing it of waging a “war on farmers”, grabbing fertile agricultural land and ignoring more than a year of sustained protests by affected villagers.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the foundation day celebrations of the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy alleged that the state government had overridden farmers’ objections and transformed what was projected as a development initiative into a bitter battle over land and livelihoods. “This is not a township project but a land-grab project disguised as development. The project is less about urban planning and more about facilitating a lucrative real-estate exercise,” Kumaraswamy charged.In a direct challenge to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who had reportedly questioned whether many of the affected landowners were genuine farmers, Kumaraswamy dared him to visit the villages around Bidadi and interact with those facing acquisition. “Come with me to the villages. Let us stand before the people and ask them whether they are farmers or not,” he said, describing the chief minister’s remarks as an insult to the farming community and a reflection of the government’s growing arrogance.Terming the final notification a “betrayal of farmers”, Kumaraswamy said the government had chosen to ride roughshod over local residents despite nearly 470 days of protests against the township project. “The land they want is not barren land. It is fertile, productive farmland that sustains thousands of families. Yet the government is determined to grab it in the name of development,” he alleged.

The JD(S) leader further claimed that while farmers were fighting to protect their livelihoods, the government had responded with police cases, intimidation and coercion. Referring to FIRs registered against protesting farmers by Bidadi police, he accused the administration of using state machinery to suppress dissent even as Home Minister Priyank Kharge denied any crackdown.Kumaraswamy also took exception to Kharge’s reported remark that the government was committed to implementing the project and that opponents were free to seek legal remedies. “That statement alone exposes the government’s mindset. It shows how little regard it has for farmers and their concerns,” he said.Claiming that an overwhelming majority of farmers in the affected villages opposed the acquisition, Kumaraswamy accused elected representatives from the region of abandoning the very people who voted them to power. “If the government genuinely wants land for development, there is no shortage of dry and non-cultivable land elsewhere. Why is it obsessed with acquiring fertile farmland in Bidadi?” he asked.

“We planned it then, abandoned it later”: HD KumaraswamyResponding to DK Shivakumar’s remark that the Karnataka government was merely continuing a project originally conceived by him, HD Kumaraswamy said, “I had proposed a township way back in 2006. But I shelved the plan after facing stiff opposition from farmers. I abandoned it in the larger public interest. But this government has revived it for reasons that have nothing to do with public welfare.”Farmers to intensify protest, explore legal challengeThe farmers’ protest against the proposed township project has entered its 471st day, and with the issuance of the final notification, the agitation is set to intensify further. The protesting farmers have announced plans to mount a legal challenge against the acquisition proceedings.Bhairappa G, a farmer from Byramangala, said, “All the farmers have decided to step up our protest and are planning a major rally on June 16. The women are also preparing to take out a protest jatha against the acquisition.”