Bidadi Township Row: Farmers Allegedly Attack Officials During Survey, Deve Gowda Threatens Protest
· Free Press Journal
Bengaluru, July 14: The Bidadi township project in the Bengaluru outskirts, which has run into controversy during the last four months, has heated up with the farmers, who are opposing the project, beating up the Revenue Department officials who had gone there for a survey.
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Meanwhile, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has threatened to sit on protest with the farmers if the state government does not withdraw the project immediately.
The incident took place on Monday evening, when the Revenue officials went to the project site for surveying land. The farmers, including women, picked up broomsticks and assaulted the women officials, while the men assaulted the men. When the police tried to interfere, even some of the police personnel were attacked, leaving four of them injured.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda says, "I have already said that the Chief Minister made a promise. When he tried to remove Siddaramaiah, he promised that he would stand by the High Command to fight the election battle. It is already established. We… pic.twitter.com/kPqHDL8Cd8
— IANS (@ians_india) July 14, 2026
On Tuesday morning, the Bidadi police registered a case against 11 farmers for assaulting the officials. This has triggered another round of fury among the agitating farmers, who have threatened to take up the protest to the next level.
On Tuesday morning, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda threatened to join the farmers' agitation if the state government failed to drop the project.
"Don't make me come out and sit for protest at this age. If the government continues its atrocities against the farmers, I will be forced to sit for a protest," the 93-year-old leader told the media.
Dhar Bhojshala Row: Supreme Court Allows Friday Namaz At Adjacent Site, Refuses Status Quo AntePolitical battle over Bidadi project
The Bidadi project has been a contentious issue between Congress and JD(S), when D K Shivakumar, who was on the verge of becoming the Chief Minister, said that he would be hastening up the project.
Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who, as the State Chief Minister, had notified the project and 9,000 acres for the project at Bidadi, opposed the move, saying that it was against the farmers' interest. He alleged that Shivakumar himself had resorted to real estate business in the name of developing the Bidadi township.
The township area has political significance as it falls in Vokkaliga-dominated Ramanagara district. While D K Shivakumar originally belonged to the district, Kumaraswamy migrated from Hassan and tried to dominate the district. D K Shivakumar executing the project would definitely give him an upper hand in the fight for Vokkaliga dominance.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: BJP MLC, C. T. Ravi says, "...This government is behaving in a tyrannical manner. It is not acting like a democratic government. The farmers are opposing the Bidadi township. You know that. Even after that, why is the government so adamant about the… pic.twitter.com/fH9HpqgsH6
— IANS (@ians_india) July 14, 2026
Farmers divided over township plan
Kumaraswamy's statement divided the farmers coming under the township area. While the farmers in JD(S)-dominant areas started a protest, saying that they would not part with their land for the township, the others stood by the government.
Though the government tried to convince them, saying that Kumaraswamy administration had declared it under a `red zone', which means farmers cannot do anything other than farming on that land, at least eight villages coming under the project refused to budge.
The government also announced the highest-ever compensation for the land, running up to ₹2.5 crore per acre, along with a site in the developed area.
However, the issue is heating up day by day, with Kumaraswamy spending most of his time on the Bidadi issue itself.
