BJP Slams ‘High Command Rule’ in Karnataka
KC Venugopal’s remarks on Bengaluru demolitions spark federalism row
- BJP accuses Congress leadership of overriding Karnataka government
- Row erupts after KC Venugopal flags ‘concerns’ over Bengaluru demolitions
- R Ashoka calls it an insult to federalism and state autonomy
- Congress says affected families will be rehabilitated
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th Dec: A political storm has erupted in Karnataka over the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Bengaluru, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Congress leadership in Delhi of superseding the state’s elected government and undermining federal principles.
The controversy followed a social media post by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal regarding demolitions in Kogilu village. Venugopal said he had conveyed the Congress high command’s “serious concern” to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, urging greater caution, sensitivity and compassion while dealing with affected families.
BJP leaders reacted sharply, questioning Venugopal’s authority to intervene in what they termed a state administrative matter. Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka asked whether Venugopal was acting as a “Super Chief Minister” and accused the Congress of running a “remote-control government” from Delhi.
“Karnataka’s dignity, self-respect and administrative authority cannot be compromised to please party managers sitting in Delhi. This is blatant overreach and an insult to federalism,” Ashoka said, adding that the state is governed by a constitutionally elected chief minister and cabinet, not by party functionaries.
He also accused Venugopal of hypocrisy, pointing to what he said was silence on issues concerning farmers and other public grievances in the state. “Karnataka is not a colony of Rahul Gandhi and his coterie,” Ashoka remarked, demanding respect for the state’s autonomy and governance.
Venugopal, in his post, said the state leadership has assured him that they will personally engage with affected families, establish mechanisms for grievance redressal and ensure rehabilitation and relief for those impacted by the demolitions.
The row comes amid broader criticism of demolition drives, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recent remark describing such actions as a “brutal normalisation of the bulldozer raj.”
