Karnataka BJP Leader Challenges Shivakumar Over Bidadi Land Grab

The proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township, marketed as India’s first AI-powered city, aims to seize 9,600 acres of fertile land roughly 40 kilometers from the capital. Vijayendra asserted that the government must halt all acquisition efforts unless at least 70% of local landowners provide voluntary consent, insisting that the administration cannot force farmers from their soil.

Tensions reached a breaking point this week when hundreds of residents, including women armed with brooms, physically blocked officials from entering the area. The ensuing clash resulted in damaged government vehicles and a total suspension of the survey process. Farmers argue that the project threatens their livelihoods, while the BJP has vowed to leverage these protests to challenge the state's development priorities, framing the project as an aggressive encroachment rather than progress.