Congress leaders pull up Pinarayi on Bengaluru demolition remark, but get rapped by AICC

While leaders of the ruling Congress in Karnataka reacted strongly on Saturday (December 27, 2025) to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticism of “bulldozer action” to evict people in two colonies in Kogilu Layout in Bengaluru, the party’s own central leaders dispproved of the action.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that Mr. Vijayan had spoken without knowing facts about encroachment clearance that took place earlier in the week. Mr. Siddaramaiah pointed out that houses were built illegally on hazardous waste dumping grounds. Mr. Shivakumar asked Mr. Vijayan to refrain from “interfering in Karnataka’s affairs”.

However, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal later in the day chastised the Karnataka leaders on the clearance drive. He said on X, “Conveyed the AICC’s serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with far greater caution, sensitivity, and compassion, keeping the human impact at the centre.”