Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Saturday, 16 May declared he would launch a sustained agitation against the proposed Bidadi township project in Karnataka, alleging that the Congress government was using it as cover to seize farmers' lands for private business interests. Speaking at a press conference at the Janata Dal (Secular) state office, JP Bhavan, Bengaluru, Deve Gowda called the project a outright 'land scam' and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

Key Allegations Against the Congress Government

Deve Gowda alleged that the Karnataka Congress government, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, was attempting to dispossess farmers in the Bidadi region under the guise of planned urban development. He said there was widespread anger and resistance among the affected farming communities, and argued that the scale of public opposition alone warranted scrapping the project.

Taking a pointed jab at Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, Deve Gowda said: 'One person has said that he is ready to get beaten up by farmers. Let him first go and get beaten by the farmers, then I will go and speak to them.' The remark, though indirect, was widely understood as directed at Shivakumar.

The Kumaraswamy Comparison and Congress's Past Stance

Deve Gowda drew a sharp contrast between the current Bidadi project and a similar proposal once floated by his son, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had earlier proposed five townships around Bengaluru to ease pressure on the city. At the time, Congress leaders had mounted a fierce campaign against the plan, alleging land grab, and even constituted a 'truth-finding committee' to probe it.

Kumaraswamy eventually withdrew all five township proposals in the face of public opposition. Deve Gowda said sarcastically of the committee's findings: 'What truth emerged from that committee's report, only God knows.'

He said: 'H.D. Kumaraswamy is serving as a Union Minister. I saw a report in which a person referred to Kumaraswamy as a jobless man and claimed that he was completing the project Kumaraswamy had earlier proposed. People now understand what Kumaraswamy had intended to do then, and the evil designs of the person who has now taken up this project. I will fight against it.'

Personal Dimension and Political Context

Deve Gowda struck a personal note, referring to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as an old colleague and friend, but said it pained him deeply that the situation was being allowed to unfold without scrutiny. He also acknowledged past criticism that he became overly emotional at public meetings, saying he now found himself 'laughing at the present system.'

This comes amid broader political tensions in Karnataka between the ruling Congress and the opposition Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine, with land acquisition and urban development emerging as flashpoint issues ahead of local body elections.

Who Was Present

MLC T.A. Sharavana, Greater Bengaluru JDS president H.M. Ramesh Gowda, former Magadi MLA Manjunath, and several farmers from the Bidadi region attended the press conference, signalling that the JDS intends to build a ground-level coalition against the project.

Whether the agitation gains traction will depend on how many of Bidadi's affected farmers formally align with the JDS campaign in the coming weeks.