Kerala | Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during his visit to Sivagiri Mutt, where he paid homage at the samadhi of social reformer Narayana Guru.
The meeting, marked by a cordial handshake and brief exchange on stage, came against the backdrop of a politically sensitive controversy—the demolition drive at Kogilu in north Bengaluru, which had earlier drawn sharp criticism from Pinarayi Vijayan through a post on X, where he described the action as “inhuman” and likened it to “bulldozer politics.”
However, despite the issue being publicly escalated by the Kerala Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah did not attempt to explain, clarify, or counter the Kogilu developments during the face-to-face interaction.
Published In Public Interest by thebengalurulive.com
Silence Where Explanation Was Expected
Political observers noted that the Sivagiri meeting presented an opportunity for Siddaramaiah to place Karnataka’s version of events on record—especially after the Kogilu eviction became an inter-state talking point and triggered reactions within the Congress high command.
Instead, the Chief Minister restricted his engagement to ceremonial and spiritual aspects of the visit, offering prayers at the Sivagiri Mutt and exchanging pleasantries with Vijayan, without addressing the controversy that originated from Kerala itself.
Context: The Kogilu Post That Sparked the Storm
The silence gains significance as Vijayan’s X post on the Kogilu eviction had accused the Karnataka government of targeting minority families and undermining constitutional values—remarks that intensified political pressure on the Siddaramaiah government back home.
While Karnataka ministers later issued clarifications stating that the eviction involved illegal encroachments on government land earmarked for public use, the Chief Minister’s decision to avoid the subject in person has raised questions about whether the issue was strategically downplayed to prevent further escalation.
Political Optics Under Scrutiny
The meeting was attended by AICC General Secretary K. C. Venugopal, Higher Education Minister Sudhakar, political secretary Naseer Ahmed, legal adviser Ponnanna, and MLC B. K. Hariprasad.
With senior Congress leaders present, the absence of even a brief clarification on Kogilu has prompted criticism that the government missed a chance to defend its administrative actions on an international political stage.
A Question That Remains
While the optics of inter-state camaraderie were on display at Sivagiri, the Kogilu question remains unanswered—especially since it was Kerala’s leadership that first amplified the issue.
For critics, the takeaway is clear:
The controversy was loud online, but conspicuously quiet offline.
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