Nikhil Kumaraswamy ends padayatra after police block entry into Bengaluru; protest on August 18 announced
JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy ended a protest march against the Bidadi Township project after police blocked entry into Bengaluru. The party plans to hold a larger rally on August 18 to continue their opposition to the land acquisition project.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the political tension between the JD(S) and the ruling Congress government regarding land rights and development projects in Karnataka.
Janata Dal (Secular) Youth Wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who was leading a padayatra from Bidadi to Bengaluru opposing the Bidadi Township project, concluded the yatra midway at Kaniminike on Monday after the police blocked its entry into Bengaluru. Condemning the obstacles posed to the yatra by the State government, Mr. Nikhil announced that the party would hold a rally at Freedom Park on August 18, led by former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda. The Bidadi Township project has emerged as a major political flashpoint between Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the JD(S) in the Vokkaliga heartland.
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