Ashoka calls Bidadi township panel a ‘new drama’, says BJP and JD(S) never ordered land acquisition
Bengaluru, July 15: Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka on Tuesday alleged that the Congress government, instead of dropping the Bidadi township project, had staged a “new drama” by constituting a committee over the issue.
Addressing a press conference, Ashoka said Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was “acting” to gain public sympathy and claimed that neither the BJP nor the JD(S) had ever issued orders for land acquisition for the project. He also said the Congress had earlier opposed the project.
Ashoka alleged that even as farmers were waging an intense protest against the Bidadi township, the government had sent police and assaulted them. He said the FIR referred to murder and intimidation. He described the decision to appoint a House committee now as “ridiculous”, saying that once farmers had made it clear that they would not part with their land, there was no need for such a committee. He alleged that since the Assembly session was under way, the move was made to escape political pressure.
Referring to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Ashoka said Kumaraswamy had only referred to the project earlier and had not issued any order. He said Kumaraswamy had only made proceedings and asserted that those making allegations should provide a proper explanation. He also said those calling the project “Kumaraswamy’s dream child” should produce documentary evidence.
Ashoka said that when Kumaraswamy was Chief Minister earlier, a discussion on Bidadi had taken place in the Assembly under Rule 69, and Kumaraswamy had then replied that the project would not be implemented against the wishes of farmers. He added that the project was also not implemented during the tenures of B.S. Yediyurappa, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar as Chief Ministers.
He said DLF had shown interest in the project and deposited Rs 400 crore, but the BJP government later returned the money. “If we were interested, we would have negotiated with the company and done a real estate deal,” he said, adding that the BJP had no role in the matter.
Ashoka further said that after the Centre brought in a new land acquisition law, then Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda had said the matter needed to be reconsidered. He said that during Jagadish Shettar’s tenure, a meeting was held on July 26, 2012, and a committee was formed, but no acquisition took place. He said no decision had been taken during the BJP’s tenure and asked whether the BJP had issued any 4(1), 5A, 6(1) award notice, adding that the party had done none of these.
Ashoka said that at the time, the Pradesh Congress Committee had constituted a fact-finding committee under H.K. Patil in opposition to the project. He demanded that the Congress now release that committee’s report and asked why the party was implementing the project now. He said the report had stated that the layout should not be developed.
He also said Siddaramaiah had earlier spoken in the Assembly against the township project, warning that farmers would be cursed and may be driven to suicide. Ashoka said D.K. Shivakumar too had stated in the Assembly that Bidadi was his district and that such a project would be an insult to farmers.
Detailing what he described as steps taken during Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure, Ashoka said that at a meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah on June 3, 2016, a Greater Bengaluru Bidadi Smart City project was announced by including a total of 38 villages, among them 10 villages falling within Ramanagara district’s township limits. Four months later, he said, a Bidadi Smart City project area authority was created.
“All the orders were issued during Siddaramaiah’s period, and yet it is being called Kumaraswamy’s child,” Ashoka said. He further said that when a starred question was raised in the Assembly in 2018, then Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara had said that no land acquisition had been carried out. Ashoka argued that such an answer would not have been possible if previous BJP or coalition governments had already carried out acquisition.
He further alleged that on July 15, 2024, Siddaramaiah had issued a gazette notification and made khata, while imposing a condition that it could not be transferred for 25 years. “There cannot be bigger proof than this to call it real estate,” he said. He also claimed that once the government had issued such an order, it would not have been possible to make a grant, and alleged that the project had been given to a contractor in Andhra Pradesh.
Ashoka said Shivakumar’s statements were aimed at winning public sympathy and alleged that the Congress had no concern for farmers. Referring to Congress leaders’ claims that their brothers and sisters had land in the area, he challenged them to disclose whose land was in Bidadi.
Ashoka also cited remarks made during the 2007 Assembly session. He said Siddaramaiah had then argued that even drinking water could not be provided to nearly one-third of Bengaluru’s population and that if an SEZ had to be created, it should be done in places such as Hassan or Mandya instead of taking farmers’ land there. He also quoted D.K. Shivakumar as having said at the time, “This is the question of our party’s credibility. Our fact-finding committee’s issue. You have to ask apology.”
He said that after all this, Kumaraswamy had stated there was no need to hurt people’s sentiments and evict them to build a township there.
Ashoka said 435 days had passed since the protest in Bidadi began, but the government had not formed a committee until now. He alleged that the committee would submit its report only after the Assembly session ended, after which acquisition would resume. “At night, acquisition orders will be issued and in the morning the Chief Minister will speak. What is the meaning of this committee?” he asked.
Drawing a comparison with the RCB stampede case, Ashoka alleged that while there had first been talk of punishing the guilty, all those involved were later given a clean chit. He claimed the same would happen in this case too and said the committee would submit its report in two months. “This is a drama,” he said.
On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement that there was an attempt to send people to jail through denotification, Ashoka said no one from his side was demanding denotification. “We are not asking for denotification. It is enough if the farmers are left alone. A future government will handle it,” he said.
Ashoka further said that no one was bigger than a people’s movement and claimed that just as the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had faced public anger, the Congress too would face consequences. He said the issue would become “the last nail in the coffin” of the Congress government.
Detailing what he described as steps taken during Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure, Ashoka said that at a meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah on June 3, 2016, a Greater Bengaluru Bidadi Smart City project was announced by including a total of 38 villages, among them 10 villages falling within Ramanagara district’s township limits. Four months later, he said, a Bidadi Smart City project area authority was created.
“All the orders were issued during Siddaramaiah’s period, and yet it is being called Kumaraswamy’s child,” Ashoka said. He further said that when a starred question was raised in the Assembly in 2018, then Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara had said that no land acquisition had been carried out. Ashoka argued that such an answer would not have been possible if previous BJP or coalition governments had already carried out acquisition.
He further alleged that on July 15, 2024, Siddaramaiah had issued a gazette notification and made khata, while imposing a condition that it could not be transferred for 25 years. “There cannot be bigger proof than this to call it real estate,” he said. He also claimed that once the government had issued such an order, it would not have been possible to make a grant, and alleged that the project had been given to a contractor in Andhra Pradesh.
Ashoka said Shivakumar’s statements were aimed at winning public sympathy and alleged that the Congress had no concern for farmers. Referring to Congress leaders’ claims that their brothers and sisters had land in the area, he challenged them to disclose whose land was in Bidadi.
Ashoka also cited remarks made during the 2007 Assembly session. He said Siddaramaiah had then argued that even drinking water could not be provided to nearly one-third of Bengaluru’s population and that if an SEZ had to be created, it should be done in places such as Hassan or Mandya instead of taking farmers’ land there. He also quoted D.K. Shivakumar as having said at the time, “This is the question of our party’s credibility. Our fact-finding committee’s issue. You have to ask apology.”
He said that after all this, Kumaraswamy had stated there was no need to hurt people’s sentiments and evict them to build a township there.
Ashoka said 435 days had passed since the protest in Bidadi began, but the government had not formed a committee until now. He alleged that the committee would submit its report only after the Assembly session ended, after which acquisition would resume. “At night, acquisition orders will be issued and in the morning the Chief Minister will speak. What is the meaning of this committee?” he asked.
Drawing a comparison with the RCB stampede case, Ashoka alleged that while there had first been talk of punishing the guilty, all those involved were later given a clean chit. He claimed the same would happen in this case too and said the committee would submit its report in two months. “This is a drama,” he said.
On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement that there was an attempt to send people to jail through denotification, Ashoka said no one from his side was demanding denotification. “We are not asking for denotification. It is enough if the farmers are left alone. A future government will handle it,” he said.
Ashoka further said that no one was bigger than a people’s movement and claimed that just as the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had faced public anger, the Congress too would face consequences. He said the issue would become “the last nail in the coffin” of the Congress government.
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