Amid Bengaluru demolition row, BJP slams Congress's 'remote control' from Delhi

Key Highlights

• He stressed the need for “greater caution, sensitivity and compassion” and said the human cost should be central to governance decisions.
• According to Venugopal, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar assured him that they would personally engage with affected families, set up a grievance redress mechanism and ensure rehabilitation and relief. However, the intervention drew an aggressive response from the BJP, which said it highlighted the Congress’s “high-command culture”. Senior leader R Ashoka accused Venugopal of “interfering” in Karnataka’s administration and called it an insult to federalism.
• Drawing a historical parallel, Ashoka said that just as former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had once publicly humiliated Karnataka stalwart Veerendra Patil, the Congress high command was once again lecturing an elected state leadership.“Who is K C Venugopal to intervene in the administration of Karnataka?
• Is he a Super CM, or does the Congress high command believe state governments function on Delhi diktats?” Ashoka asked in a social media post.
• “Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected Chief Minister and Cabinet, not by an AICC general secretary.”Ashoka also alleged hypocrisy, questioning Venugopal’s silence on issues such as the alleged dumping of medical and other waste from Kerala along Karnataka’s borders.