Demolition row: If any Bangladeshis are found, they will be deported, says Karnataka Home Minister

Bengaluru, Dec 31 (IANS) Responding to the Bharatiya Janata Party's criticism that the Congress-led government in Karnataka was "providing houses" to Bangladeshis whose residential structures on government land were demolished, state Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that if any residents are found to be Bangladeshi nationals, they will be immediately arrested and deported.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday, while responding to a question, Parameshwara said, "It is not appropriate to make a sweeping statement that all residents at the demolished site are from Bangladesh. Don't we verify facts? While providing compensation or distributing houses, everything will be verified. Do you think we will give houses to Bangladeshis? If they are found, we will immediately arrest them and send them to the border."

"We will inform their embassy and deport them. If they are involved in criminal activities, they will be arrested and sent to jail. The Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, has served as Home Minister and knows all this. He is raising the issue for political reasons," Parameshwara said.

He stated that the antecedents and background of all beneficiaries would be thoroughly verified.

"The Greater Bengaluru Authority personnel have prepared a list of beneficiaries. We will verify it, determine how long they have been living in Bengaluru, and only then will compensation be given," he said.

He added that the verification process to identify illegal immigrants would be carried out continuously. "It is not a one-week drive that will then be abandoned. Those living illegally in Karnataka, not only in Bengaluru but also in other areas such as coffee estates, will be identified. The police will inspect coffee estates and question estate owners about their labourers. If Bangladeshis are found, they will be immediately arrested and sent to jail," he said.

"There may be a few who are absconding. As I said, this is a continuous process. Verification will continue, and whenever such individuals are found, they will be arrested and deported," Parameshwara said.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, had alleged that the Congress-led government has set a bad precedent by deciding to construct houses for land encroachers, thereby encouraging the land mafia.

"Providing houses to encroachers could lead to the creation of mini Pakistan," he warned.

He claimed that while it was being said that residents who are Muslims had been living there for 20 years, Google Maps imagery from 2023 showed the area was waterlogged and vacant, with no habitation.

"Even 15 acres of land was completely vacant. Only in the last six months have people begun living there in temporary structures," he said.

"A total of 37.48 lakh people are waiting after applying for houses. There is no opportunity for local poor people, but the government says it will build houses for outsiders. I have never seen housing schemes approved at such speed in Karnataka's history," he said.

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, on Tuesday, asked why the politics of the Kerala elections appeared to be influencing the developments in Karnataka.

Karandlaje demanded a high-level probe into illegal migration from other states and countries into Karnataka. She urged all departments to act jointly against illegal migrants involved in drug mafia activities and appealed to the state government to cooperate in identifying and deporting the Rohingyas.