Kerala CM Vijayan defends remarks on Bengaluru demolition

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 1 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said he does not limit his response to state boundaries when issues such as the recent demolitions of houses in Bengaluru arise.

Speaking at a press conference, Vijayan was asked whether he raised concerns over the demolitions during his meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Sivagiri Math.

He said the Congress leader arrived late, and he had to leave early with permission to attend a Cabinet meeting.

He added that before the Cabinet meeting, he had visited actor Mohanlal following the death of his mother and later travelled to Dharmadom in Kannur after the demise of a party leader.

Responding to remarks by Karnataka leaders asking him not to interfere in the demolition issue, Vijayan said he does not confine his responses to state boundaries when issues such as demolitions or minority rights arise.

"We respond strongly in such matters, even when similar issues arise in other countries, such as in Gaza," he said.

He said it was natural to react when helpless people are rendered homeless by bulldozers.

Last month, Vijayan, in a Facebook post, had said that the demolition of houses in Bengaluru reflected a form of minority-targeting politics previously seen in North India and warned that such practices were spreading to the South.

He expressed surprise that what he described as "bulldozer justice" was carried out under a Congress-led government in Karnataka.

Responding to Vijayan’s remarks, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had said it was unfortunate that senior leaders like the Kerala CM commented on the matter without knowing the facts and advised him not to interfere in Karnataka’s affairs in connection with the anti-encroachment drive in north Bengaluru.

Later, CPI(M) leaders from Kerala visited Bengaluru and met people who were evicted as part of the drive. PTI TBA SSK