Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda announced his intention to combat what he described as a “land scam” linked to the proposed Bidadi township, accusing the Congress government of seizing farmers’ lands for commercial purposes. Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Deve Gowda highlighted the widespread opposition to the Bidadi project and demanded its immediate abandonment.
Deve Gowda indirectly criticized Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, mentioning a willingness to engage with farmers only after the said individual faces their ire. He expressed disappointment in the lack of attention to the situation by referring to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as an old friend.
The former PM recalled his son Kumaraswamy’s earlier proposal for five townships to ease pressure on Bengaluru, which faced backlash from Congress leaders accusing him of land grabbing. Despite forming a committee to investigate, the truth from its report remains unknown, according to Deve Gowda. He vowed to oppose the current alleged misdeeds and highlighted Kumaraswamy’s withdrawal of the previous township plans due to public resistance.
