The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Row over BJP's move to acquire property

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 09, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Row over BJP's move to acquire property

Special Correspondent

Party wants land in Malleswaram for State headquarters

RESIDENTS PROTEST: People protesting against the BJP's move to acquire BBMP land for its party office at Malleswaram in Bangalore on Friday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore: Some residents of Malleswaram have objected to what they say is an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to surreptitiously acquire prime property belonging to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to construct a building to house the party's State headquarters.

The land, measuring 100 ft x 98 ft, located on 2nd Temple Street, which runs parallel to Sampige Road, was granted to Lalita Kalashala in 1949 and was taken over by the BBMP on May 25. Within a few days, the BJP decide to utilise the vacant land for the construction of the party office, and the relevant papers were processed. The subject of handing over the property to the BJP was placed before the State Cabinet by the Urban Development Department four days ago and approved.

Malleswaram legislator M.R. Seetharam, who got wind of the BJP's move, said the people of the area would prevent the property from being handed over to any political party. The land should be used for the construction of a community hall, a library or a students' hostel. "If the BJP wants to have an office of its own, let it purchase land in the open market. This is prime property and was granted to the arts school by then Maharaja of Mysore."

`No directions'

Sources in the BBMP said they had neither received any oral direction from the Government nor a Government Order directing that the land be handed over to the BJP. However, two senior BJP Ministers had asked the BBMP to measure the land and make it over to the BJP. The arrival of two senior BJP Ministers accompanied by senior officials of the BBMP at the site on Wednesday and Thursday angered the residents.

The people of the locality held a meeting on Friday under the leadership of Mr. Seetharam and decided to wage a battle to retain the land for a public purpose.

A senior BJP leader said that if the Congress raised any objection, then the BJP would also stage a dharna near the Congress office. "The Congress also took possession of a prime property on Queens Road (behind the existing office) and is also in possession of a property in Shivajinagar without even the relevant land documents. The BJP has sought the land in Malleswaram since the party office is now located on a rented premises in the same area."

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