Ramanagara
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraju has strongly criticized the creation of the Greater Bangalore Authority, calling it unnecessary and claiming it provides no tangible benefits to citizens. Speaking at a protest organized by Kannada activists at the Aizuru Circle, he urged the state government to first focus on essential civic issues, such as filling potholes, clearing accumulated garbage, repairing drains, and preventing sewage water from entering homes, rather than creating an authority that primarily serves the interests of real estate developers.
Vatal argued that the authority does nothing for the general public and warned that it could make ordinary citizens’ lives more difficult in the future. He further criticized the state government, saying officials have failed to maintain roads and public infrastructure, and the new authority is simply a tool to favor landowners and builders.
He also took aim at the state leadership, stating that the Chief Minister’s recent indecisiveness and unilateral decisions undermine governance, with the Deputy Chief Minister also not listening to advice. Vatal emphasized that dividing Bangalore into multiple administrative parts will not improve development, insisting the city should remain unified, as envisioned by former mayor Kempe Gowda.
Highlighting the potential threat to farmers, he warned that government policies favoring real estate could lead to the displacement of local communities. Vatal pledged full support for farmers’ protests and urged citizens not to allow even a single inch of land to be taken without consent.
The protest saw participation from several Kannada activist leaders, including Karunadu Seve State Vice President Aizuru Jagadeesh, District President C.S. Jayakumar, and other prominent members such as Gangadhar, Bhargavi, Sudha, K. Jayaraj, Arjun, Muddumallayya, Santosh Gowda, Kumar, Shivamoorthy, Kemparaju, Manjunath, Krishnamurthy, and Parthasarathi.