Immigration war at Kogilu

HL: Immigration war at Kogilu

Strap: Kogilu layout turns political battleground as BJP demands NIA probe & Congress warns against vigilantism

Blurb:

‘They are living here openly and fearlessly,’ Yelahanka BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath said, calling for strict action against Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals. Citing reports, he claimed over 2 lakh Rohingyas and Bangladeshis were present in Karnataka

Byline: Ravi Kiran

Illegal immigration, long a political lightning rod in Assam, has now exploded into a full-blown flashpoint in Karnataka. And the storm’s epicentre is Kogilu Layout on Bangalore’s northern edge.

What began as a row over the demolition and rehabilitation of encroachers has quickly spiralled into a high-decibel political battle, with the BJP demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe and the Congress-led state government hitting back, warning against vigilantism and communal rhetoric.

The trigger was the submission of a report by a BJP fact-finding committee formed in the wake of demolitions carried out in the Kogilu Layout area. Speaking at the party’s state office, Jagannath Bhavan, Yelahanka BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath said the committee, headed by him, had examined the issue in detail and concluded that the matter warranted investigation by the NIA.

“The incidents related to the eviction of illegal occupants in Kogilu Layout must be handed over to the NIA,” Vishwanath said after submitting the report to State BJP president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra.

Alleging the involvement of “foreign elements”, he claimed there was an attempt to hurriedly provide houses to foreign nationals, making a central probe necessary.

BJP goes on offensive

The sharpest edge of the BJP’s attack, however, was reserved for alleged illegal immigrants. Vishwanath claimed that out of nearly 100 scrap collectors in Bangalore, about 95% were Rohingyas. “They possess certain identity cards, but when we asked for details, they refused to share them. They admit that they crossed the border by paying money,” he alleged, adding that organised groups were facilitating illegal entry through West Bengal.

Claiming their language was neither Hindi nor Urdu, Vishwanath said Bangla and Rohingya dialects were clearly identifiable. “They are living here openly and fearlessly,” he said, calling for strict action against Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals. Citing reports, he claimed over two lakh Rohingyas and Bangladeshis were present in Karnataka and demanded verification, arrests and deportation of those found illegal.

Linking the issue to Bangalore’s chronic housing shortage, Vishwanath pointed out that over 15,000 people were waiting for houses in the city. “Illegal allotment of houses or assistance in violation of rules should not be allowed. Everything must be done strictly as per rules, not under the guise of humanitarian considerations,” he said, alleging that migrants from districts like Kalaburagi were evicted without compensation while support was being extended to foreign nationals.

Adding fuel to the fire, Karnataka Assembly Opposition leader R. Ashoka said the BJP had already staged protests and announced a major convention on January 17 to protest violence in Ballari and alleged police high-handedness against BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy. “We will question the breakdown of law and order in the state,” he said.

Govt pushes back

Home Minister G. Parameshwara acknowledged that Bangladeshi nationals were settling in Bangalore, calling the city’s peaceful nature a key attraction. He said the Karnataka Police Department had been instructed to gather detailed information across the state.

“They will verify where they are living, whether they possess documents, and how those documents were obtained,” he said, adding that illegal Bangladeshis had already been deported.

Parameshwara cautioned against vigilante action, warning that no individual or organisation had the authority to verify documents or take the law into their own hands. “Be it BJP leaders or others, no one has the right to manhandle people,” he said, urging citizens to pass information to the police instead.

He also pointed the finger at the Centre, saying border security was a central responsibility. “Whether they enter by paying bribes or by sneaking in stealthily, the Border Security Force and other agencies must stop illegal immigration,” he said.

Parameshwara added that Bangladeshis had earlier been identified in coffee estates in Sakaleshapura and deported, and that similar action would be taken wherever they were found, including on Bangalore’s outskirts.

With official statistics on illegal immigrants and deportations expected to be released soon, Parameshwara warned against “unnecessary statements” that could create communal strife.

For now, Kogilu Layout stands as more than just a disputed patch of land; it has become a symbol of a larger political battle, where questions of immigration, housing, federalism and vote-bank politics collide. And as Karnataka discovers, this is one debate that is only getting louder.