Bengaluru: Former minister and BJP MLA S. Suresh Kumar has demanded a thorough investigation into how people allegedly entered and settled illegally in Kogilu Layout. He said the government must first ascertain who facilitated these settlements and under what circumstances they came up.

Reacting in the Vidhana Soudha to AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal’s justification of the state government’s move to regularise houses in the Kogilu Layout, Suresh Kumar launched a sharp attack on both Venugopal and the Congress-led state government.

He alleged that Venugopal’s defence of the decision had a political motive linked to the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. “The Kogilu Layout issue is being turned into a sympathy-based move for electoral gains in Kerala. This is competitive politics, where decisions taken in Karnataka are aimed at benefiting political interests elsewhere,” he said.

Suresh Kumar questioned the government’s claim that the houses were illegal while simultaneously stating that people had been living there for 15 to 20 years. He alleged that without proper verification, the government’s announcement to provide houses was aimed at strengthening Congress leadership rather than addressing genuine hardship. “This policy is causing injustice to real victims in Karnataka. It is like deceiving the people of Karnataka while favouring others,” he charged.

Accusing the government of indulging in vote bank politics, he said the move was neither fair nor just. “Regularising an illegality itself is an illegal policy of the government,” he remarked.

Responding to reports that around 300 houses were affected, Suresh Kumar claimed the number of settlers had increased over time and alleged that the situation was created by the government itself. He reiterated that while his party stood for making cities slum-free, the key questions remained unanswered. “How did these people come there? Who supported the construction of huts? This must be investigated. If the government gives a green signal by promising houses to everyone, it will open the floodgates. Ultimately, the government and the people of the state will have to pay a heavy price,” he warned.