- 6 weeks ago
A controversy has emerged over the proposed township project in Bidadi, Karnataka, leading to clashes between protesting farmers and government survey officials.
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00:00The massive Bidadi Township project, dream project of DK Shrikumar has been facing one political hurdle after another.
00:08It all in fact led to a showdown on the streets of Bidadi as clashes, protests turned rather ugly in
00:16the district.
00:17What am I talking about? Farmers were seen chasing government survey officials with brooms,
00:22assaulting them, attacking them. There were reports of stone pelting as well.
00:25All of it leading now to a crackdown on these protesters as well.
00:30Two FIRs have been filed, which means you've got farmers of Bidadi now being booked.
00:35It's led to a sharp political divide.
00:38The Congress continuing to defend the Township project, saying it's the need of the hour.
00:42It will ensure unprecedented development for Karnataka.
00:46But at the same time, the JDS, the BJP are up in arms defending the farmers.
00:56These were not just protests. These are scenes of open defiance.
01:05In Mandalahalli village near Bidadi, women farmers wielding brooms confronted government officials
01:12conducting a land survey for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Township.
01:17As slogans rang out, officials were forced to retreat under heavy police protection.
01:25But the confrontation didn't end there.
01:29According to the FIR, protesters allegedly hurled stones, attacked survey officials and police personnel,
01:36damaged government vehicles and injured Inspector Murali and Survey Head Mahesh.
02:08More than 20 farmers now face serious shutdowns.
02:11Charges including attempt to murder, assault on public servants and obstruction of official duty.
02:19So why are farmers protesting?
02:21They say that the project will lead to the loss of fertile farmland.
02:25Thousands of families dependent on agriculture could lose their livelihoods.
02:30Compensation cannot replace productive agricultural land.
02:34And according to the protesting farmers, the government is prioritizing urban expansion and real estate development over farmers' interests.
02:42The political battle has also escalated just as quickly.
02:46The JDS has called the Congress government anti-farmer and demanded the township project be scrapped.
03:11Responding to the allegations, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivigumar hit back.
03:16We respect the sentiment of the farmers.
03:21They have their doubt, but JDS and BJP is politicalizing issue.
03:27Let them do.
03:27We respect the law.
03:29We are not in a hurry.
03:30We don't want to respect the farmers.
03:33But the law doesn't permit me to drop the proceedings.
03:38That is the law.
03:39We respect the law.
03:40Anyway, we will take care of the farmers.
03:45The BJP has also thrown its weight behind the protesters, accusing the government of choosing real estate over farmers' rights.
03:58Unfortunately, Chief Minister himself is so interested in real estate, he is least bothered of the farmers.
04:04So it's high time he should understand the sentiment of the farmers until and unless.
04:10If more than 70% farmers are willing to give away their land, only then he should think on these
04:18townships.
04:19Otherwise, forcefully, he cannot acquire the land.
04:24The Congress, however, is refusing to back town.
04:27Deputy Chief Minister G. Parmeshwara says that peaceful protests are welcome, insisting the township is crucial for Bengaluru's future growth.
04:39From broomsticks to FIRs, the Biddhadi Township Rao has become far more than a land dispute.
04:46It's now a high-stakes political battle over development, land and farmers' rights.
04:53With Sageraraj in Bengaluru, Vera Report, India Today.
05:06And joining me on this broadcast is Nikhil Kumaraswamy, State Youth President of the Janata Dal Secular.
05:11The JDS, remember, has backed the farmers in this particular case.
05:15Mr. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, I want to begin by focusing on some of the images that came in from Birdi.
05:21And these are of these protesters hitting the survey officials with brooms.
05:26To me, sir, that doesn't look like a peaceful protest.
05:32Akshita, Nand Gopal, thanks for having me on board.
05:36Firstly, I want to thank India Today for bringing up this issue as a national debate.
05:43Because as you have clearly witnessed yesterday, the incident what has taken place,
05:49it is a very sensitive issue which the government has not still understood.
05:55or I don't know what they are trying to do with farmers.
05:58But at the end of the day, they are going to get the sentiment of the farmers here.
06:06But for this to happen, I want to state that it has been more than 490 days.
06:13The farmers are on street protesting to just get their lands back.
06:21This is not the way, this is not the right approach, which the Congress government is doing.
06:26But sir, you are right, it has been peaceful protests.
06:29Today it wasn't.
06:30What happened now hasn't been peaceful, sir.
06:33What we have seen in Bididi now of attacking of vehicles, of brooms being used, that's not peaceful.
06:39No, for this, for yesterday's incident, for having been cropped up, it is purely Congress government who must be taking
06:51this charge.
06:52Why?
06:53No, because it's been more than 500 days since these people are on ground, the elected representatives,
07:00the elected representatives from the own district, there are four Congress MLAs,
07:06and in fact, when the chief minister himself represents from Ramnagra district,
07:11nobody has come, nobody has taken their consent.
07:15It has been more than 500 days,
07:18and as they have not done this in the LAR Act, which is 2013 Act,
07:24enacted by the former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh Ji,
07:31which clearly states that you should take the consent prayer of the farmers.
07:36But they have done it in a CUDA Act, under the CUDA Act,
07:39just so that they can bypass and violate certain things.
07:44So, they are saying, sir, the Congress is saying that if you speak to farmers in Ramnagra,
07:50if you speak to farmers in Bididi, they are okay with the project.
07:52This is a section, politically motivated, that's against the township project.
07:56What's your response to that?
07:57No, absolutely not.
07:59It is not political.
08:01If at all, if at all, the media or even anybody comes and visits the 26 villages,
08:09which I have done so, I have met the people on ground, I have met the people on ground,
08:15we are not against the development.
08:17The AICT project can be done anywhere.
08:22There are already lots of acres of land, which has been under the acquisition from KT.
08:35And the farmers here are telling me that so much of land has been under the acquisition
08:42and nothing has been utilized up till now.
08:45No, sir, if we were to speak of the township project alone,
08:48there is a couple of questions that I'd like to ask you, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, on it.
08:52First, that D.K. Shrivkumar, when asked about this, said,
08:55H.D. Kumaraswamy was chief minister twice.
08:58Why was nothing done to stop the project then?
09:01At that point, nothing was done, you know, to completely scrap it,
09:05to completely get rid of the project.
09:06That wasn't done.
09:07So why are you complaining now when there's movement?
09:10See, H.D. Kumaraswamy, during his tenure,
09:14when he was the chief minister in 2006,
09:17when he took up this project,
09:19but H.D. Kumaraswamy made sure that he did the consent of certain farmers.
09:26They came up to the Krishna residency where the chief minister resides.
09:30He made three meetings.
09:32In the third meeting, he made sure the outcome was the farmers telling that,
09:36please don't do any kind of project here,
09:39because it's a fertile land,
09:40and please, you can do this project anywhere.
09:43And 2018, when he was the chief minister, second time around,
09:47he could have still taken the project up,
09:49if at all he intended to do that.
09:52But Kumaraswamy, he didn't do that.
09:54But he didn't scrap it either.
09:56He didn't completely cancel the project.
09:57What you're saying right now,
09:58saying, you know, this is a township that can be done anywhere else
10:01with the farmers' consent,
10:02why wasn't that done?
10:04We continue to have Bidadi as the proposed area for this project,
10:07which is why today it's becoming a reality.
10:11Well, I'll tell you one thing.
10:13In Dev Nandli, in the recent government,
10:17Congress government,
10:17when Sidhra Maya was the chief minister,
10:21and Sarraipatna Hobli was under acquisition.
10:25Back then,
10:2724 months back,
10:29Sidhra Maya ji
10:30did it as a special agriculture zone.
10:33That's what the farmers wanted.
10:42No, but I will also...
10:44Nikhil Kumaraswamy,
10:45we're having a bit of a problem with the audio,
10:46but I'm going to ask you another question here,
10:48which is the larger question
10:50that's being asked in Karnataka,
10:52that if every development project
10:54faces this kind of objection,
10:57faces this kind of politics,
10:58faces this kind of blockade,
11:00then Karnataka is not going to move forward, sir.
11:02This is an ambitious project,
11:03a township,
11:04that can potentially also transform opportunities
11:06for the people of Karnataka.
11:36I would want to tell you one thing.
11:38has been raising this particular issue so much so
11:41that you've now got Devagauda making it very clear
11:43that he is going to be sitting on a protest
11:46in the Vidant Soudha
11:47if this project is not scrapped.
11:50They do not want the township to continue,
11:52the project to continue,
11:53and so the JDS has taken up the cause
11:56of these farmers in Bidadi.
11:58It's been boiling for the last many months, really,
12:01because we've seen these kind of protests,
12:03we've seen showdowns,
12:04nothing quite as dramatic
12:06as the images you see on your screen.
12:08So women picking up brooms,
12:09attacking survey officials.
12:10The farmers have alleged at this point
12:13that they were, in fact,
12:15distracted by police officials,
12:17or they were talking to them,
12:18which is when the survey officials came in
12:20and started conducting their work,
12:22started conducting their survey.
12:24And so they said, essentially,
12:26that they faced,
12:28they were, in fact,
12:29distracted by authorities,
12:31and that's what led to the showdown.
12:32Though if the farmers are to be believed,
12:35they maintain that they weren't the ones
12:36who resorted to violence,
12:38that the stone pelting
12:39was by other elements involved.
12:42Either way, two FIRs have been registered,
12:44about 20 farmers in that area
12:46have been identified,
12:47have been booked.
12:48Let's be very clear,
12:49there's no place for violence,
12:50but there will be a question right now
12:52about whether this entire issue
12:54could be handled
12:54with greater sensitivity
12:56by the DKS Sarkara.
12:58They most definitely have to address it now
13:00and figure out how to reach out
13:02and find some middle ground
13:03with these farmers
13:04if they want to continue
13:05with the proposed project.
13:07Thank you to Nikhil Kumar Swami
13:08for joining us.
13:09Unfortunately,
13:09we had a bit of a problem there
13:11with his connection.
13:12So let's move on right now
13:14and get to the other big story.
13:15And this is an update
13:16on the Vietnam boat tragedy.
13:19Remember that 10 of those victims
13:21are, in fact,
13:23were from Tamil Nadu.
13:24You had others from Andhra Pradesh
13:26and from Kerala.
13:27Their mortal remains
13:27were brought back to India
13:29and their families
13:30were able to receive their bodies.
13:33It was heartbreaking, really,
13:34to see those images.
13:35Here's the report.
13:39On July 11th,
13:41a tourist speedboat
13:42carrying 36 people
13:44capsized near Honmeer route
13:46Nogoi Island
13:48off Vietnam's Phuco Island.
13:5115 Indians died,
13:53leaving behind shattered families
13:54and unanswered questions.
13:56Among the victims
13:57were 10 from Tamil Nadu,
14:003 from Andhra Pradesh
14:01and 2 from Kerala.
14:04The mortal remains of the victim
14:06reached India
14:07on Tuesday morning.
14:09Heart-draining scenes
14:10unfolded at airports and homes
14:13as grieving families
14:14broke down
14:15by receiving their loved ones
14:16for one final favor.
14:18Santosh Kumar's family
14:20was in tears
14:20as they took home
14:22the 49-year-old's body.
14:24The kind of tragedy
14:25that we're looking at the moment
14:27was unspeakable,
14:28unthinkable, unimaginable.
14:30It was nothing but
14:31a fun holiday,
14:33a fun vacation
14:33that all of these people
14:35went to Vietnam
14:36with their colleagues
14:37because they performed
14:38so well
14:39in their offices
14:41that their office
14:41decided to send them
14:42on this Vietnam adventure.
14:44And that's when
14:45this most unfortunate
14:46tragic incident happened.
14:48Visuals of two bodies
14:49being offloaded
14:50onto the cart.
14:51I'm reporting
14:52from Chennai airport
14:53where the bodies
14:53have been flown in
14:55from Mumbai.
14:55Absolutely devastating,
14:57tragic visuals
14:58that speak
14:59a thousand words.
15:00In Andhra Pradesh,
15:02family members
15:03of Mudayan Shridhar
15:04received his mortal remains
15:05in an atmosphere
15:07of overwhelming grief.
15:09It's a huge grief
15:12to the family
15:13and a huge loss.
15:14And I've seen
15:15Mr. J. Lakshmi
15:17from Machli Patnam
15:18and Shridhar
15:19from Kadapa
15:19and Ravithya
15:20from Hindupur.
15:22And all were like
15:23with 40 to 50 years,
15:25whatever the government
15:26could do,
15:26we have done
15:27to bring back
15:28the mortal remains
15:29and the government
15:31is also trying
15:32to see how
15:33to support
15:33the families as well.
15:35In Keralam,
15:36the mortal remains
15:37of A.C. Thomas
15:38and Lavinie Thomas
15:40were brought
15:40to Thiruvannathapuram.
15:42I request
15:43to have a detailed
15:48discussion
15:48with the Vietnam
15:49government
15:50for a proper inquiry
15:52and also find out
15:55the lapse
15:55of the
15:56board authorities
15:58and take action
15:59against them
15:59and also
16:00sufficient compensation
16:02should be given
16:03to the family.
16:05The tragedy
16:07in Vietnam
16:08has left
16:08families with
16:09scars
16:09that will
16:10remain
16:11forever.
16:13With Anaga Keshav,
16:14Apoorva Jachandran
16:15and Shibi Molkeji
16:17Bureau Report,
16:18India Today.
16:22Focusing now
16:23on the latest updates
16:23coming in
16:24from Tamil Nadu.
16:25You've got now
16:26the DMK
16:26and AIA-DMK
16:28firing attack
16:28after attack
16:29at Chief Minister
16:30Vijay
16:31and TVK.
16:32The latest
16:32is the AIA-DMK
16:34which remember
16:35has been facing
16:35this exodus
16:36of leaders
16:37quitting and
16:38joining the TVK.
16:39They've now
16:40attacked the TVK,
16:41attacked Vijay
16:42saying what
16:42happened to
16:43your claims
16:44of being a
16:45pure force.
16:45Remember that
16:46there was a lot
16:46of talk of
16:47Tiyasakti
16:48and Tuyasakti.
16:49So referring
16:50to that,
16:51you've had
16:52the AIA-DMK
16:53alleging that
16:53Vijay is no
16:54clean force
16:55and even
16:55raising the
16:56kind of
16:57income
16:57that he
16:58received
16:58from his
16:59movies.
16:59The AIA-DMK
17:00has questioned
17:01why we've
17:01never gotten
17:02clarity or
17:03transparency
17:03on his
17:04earnings
17:04from his
17:05firms.
17:06And so
17:06they've
17:07opened up
17:07a new
17:07front
17:08really
17:08in the
17:08political
17:09battle
17:09that
17:09we've
17:10been
17:10witnessing
17:10because
17:10we've seen
17:11allegations
17:12over horse
17:13trading,
17:13poaching,
17:14we've seen
17:14claims being
17:15made of a
17:15government
17:16collapse
17:16and now
17:17the AIA-DMK
17:18also questioning
17:19chief
17:19minister
17:19Vijay
17:20on his
17:21earnings
17:21saying
17:21why
17:22isn't
17:22he
17:22transparent
17:22about
17:23what
17:23he
17:23earned
17:24as a
17:24film
17:24star.
17:25he
17:28he
17:53said
17:55he
17:55You will be speaking to me in a country by asking some questions.
18:00What about somebody else to say something?
18:01I have no idea.
18:04Of someone who is coming,
18:07I am meeting somebody else and talking to someone,
18:12that I am speaking with you.
18:13Who is a good person?
18:16What would you like to say something or anything?
18:22Or whether it's a good person.
19:06And today, Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay has unveiled a major boost for the state's healthcare
19:12sector.
19:13Several of those images going viral.
19:15Here's the chief minister in action.
19:19Chief Minister Vijay sat among healthcare personnel, recruited through the medical services
19:24recruitment board and took a selfie with them.
19:26He also recorded a selfie video using one of the doctor's mobile phones.
19:38A young doctor seated next to chief minister Vijay was seen recreating the iconic all-is-well
19:43chest-tap gesture from the film Nanban.
19:46Vijay, who starred in the Tamil remake of Three Idiots, it was called Nanban, smiled as
19:51the movement quickly caught over once it hits.
20:02While distributing appointment orders to 2,144 health department recruits, chief minister
20:08Vijay shared a fist bump with the newly appointed doctors, recreating a signature gesture that
20:12fans instantly associated with his blockbuster film Master.
20:16There were several such requests by all those who came up onto the stage.
20:22Dr.
20:22Dr.
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20:34Dr.
20:34Dr.
20:34Dr.
20:34Dr.
20:34Dr.
20:36Dr.
20:38Dr.
21:01Dr.
21:02Dr.
21:04Dr.
21:04Dr.
21:04Dr.
21:06Dr.
21:06Dr.
21:13Dr.
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