The demolition of unauthorised constructions in Bengaluru has snowballed into a full-blown political confrontation, drawing in the Karnataka government, the Congress high command, the opposition BJP, and even leaders from neighbouring Kerala. What began as an administrative drive against illegal structures has now triggered sharp accusations of federal overreach, “high-command interference,” and political hypocrisy.

The controversy escalated after Congress general secretary and AICC in-charge for organisation, K C Venugopal, publicly stated that he had intervened in the matter by speaking to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Venugopal said he conveyed the Congress leadership’s “serious concern” over the manner in which demolitions were carried out in Kogilu village in north Bengaluru.

“Conveyed the AICC’s serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with far greater caution, sensitivity, and compassion, keeping the human impact at the centre,” Venugopal wrote in a post on X on Saturday.

His comments came amid mounting criticism of the demolitions, particularly after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the action in Bengaluru as the entry of a “North Indian model of bulldozer justice” into South India. Vijayan alleged that the demolitions had rendered entire families homeless. His remarks, however, had already drawn a sharp response from Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who advised the Kerala chief minister not to interfere in Karnataka’s internal affairs.

The issue took a sharper political turn on Sunday when Karnataka Assembly Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader R Ashoka launched a scathing attack on Venugopal and the Congress leadership. Questioning Venugopal’s authority to comment on or intervene in state administration, Ashoka asked whether the Congress leader was acting as a “super chief minister” of Karnataka.

“Who is K C Venugopal to intervene in the administration of Karnataka?” Ashoka said, as quoted by news agency PTI. “Is he a super CM, or does the Congress high command believe that elected state governments function on diktats issued from Delhi?”

Ashoka accused the Congress of treating Karnataka as a political colony rather than a sovereign state governed by an elected government. “Karnataka is not a colony of Rahul Gandhi and his coterie,” he said, adding that the state deserves respect, autonomy, and honest governance, not what he described as high-command “theatrics.”

The BJP leader stressed that Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected government, not by the AICC general secretary. He termed Venugopal’s public intervention a “blatant overreach” and said it amounted to an insult to the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution.

“Karnataka is not governed by the AICC general secretary,” Ashoka said. “The people did not vote for a remote-control government.”

Ashoka also accused Venugopal and the Congress of hypocrisy, alleging selective concern when it comes to issues affecting Karnataka. “What’s more troubling is the rank hypocrisy,” he said. “Has K C Venugopal ever shown the same urgency when medical waste and other garbage from Kerala have been illegally dumped along Karnataka’s borders, threatening Bandipur, forest regions, public health, and wildlife?”

“Has he spoken up for Karnataka’s environment, farmers, or border districts with the same concern and compassion?” Ashoka asked pointedly. “Silence there. Sermons here.”

The BJP leader’s remarks sought to link Venugopal’s intervention on the demolitions with a broader narrative of Congress high-command interference in state affairs, a charge the BJP has frequently levelled against the party in Congress-ruled states.

The demolitions in Kogilu village were part of an ongoing drive by the Bengaluru civic authorities to clear allegedly unauthorised constructions. However, visuals of homes being demolished and reports of residents being displaced sparked outrage and political backlash. Critics have argued that the action lacked adequate rehabilitation measures and human sensitivity, while the state government has maintained that the demolitions were carried out in accordance with the law.

Within the Congress, Venugopal’s statement appeared aimed at damage control, especially in light of criticism from Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and concerns raised by civil society groups. However, his intervention has also exposed the delicate balance the party must maintain between central leadership oversight and respecting the autonomy of its state governments.

The Congress leadership has not officially responded to Ashoka’s “super CM” jibe, but party sources indicated that Venugopal’s remarks were meant to ensure that governance actions align with the party’s values of compassion and social justice, rather than to undermine the authority of the Karnataka government.

Meanwhile, the issue has become a flashpoint in the ongoing political rivalry between the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka. The BJP has sought to portray the Congress government as being run by remote control from Delhi, while the Congress has accused the BJP of politicising an administrative issue and ignoring the human cost of demolitions.

As the political sparring continues, the spotlight remains on the Karnataka government’s handling of the demolition drive and whether it will recalibrate its approach in response to criticism from within its own party as well as from the opposition. For now, the Bengaluru demolitions have moved far beyond municipal action, becoming a test case for federalism, party discipline, and the limits of high-command intervention in India’s states.