Kerala CPI(M) equates Karnataka Congress govt’s demolition drive with BJP’s bulldozer politics, calls it ‘soft Hindutva’.
Claims Congress is betraying secular values by targeting Muslim properties under guise of civic action.
Move seen as Left’s attempt to portray itself as sole defender of minorities ahead of 2026 Kerala Assembly polls.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala on December 28, 2025, launched a sharp ideological attack on the Congress party, using the recent demolition drive in Bengaluru as evidence that the Congress is ideologically aligned with the Sangh Parivar on issues concerning the Muslim community. CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan and senior politburo member Prakash Karat accused the Karnataka Congress government of adopting “BJP-style bulldozer politics” in the name of civic enforcement.
The controversy centres on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) demolition drive in parts of Bengaluru, particularly in areas with significant Muslim populations, where dozens of shops, houses and community structures were razed over alleged encroachments and illegal constructions. Opposition parties in Karnataka, including JD(S) and BJP, have termed the action “targeted harassment” of Muslims, while the Congress government defends it as routine anti-encroachment enforcement.
Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Govindan said: “The Congress in Karnataka is doing exactly what the BJP does in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh — using bulldozers to terrorise Muslims and minorities under the guise of law. This is not secular governance; this is soft Hindutva. The Congress stands fully exposed as part of the same ideological family as the Sangh Parivar when it comes to Muslim rights and security.”
The CPI(M) further claimed that the Karnataka Congress government’s silence on the communal angle and its refusal to halt the drive until proper rehabilitation is provided proves that the party is unwilling to confront majoritarian tendencies when in power. Karat added: “When Congress was in power at the Centre, it talked about minority rights. In Karnataka, it is acting like a junior partner of the BJP on the ground. This is the real face of Congress secularism.”
The Left front’s attack is seen as part of its broader strategy to position itself as the only truly secular and pro-minority force in Kerala ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, while weakening the Congress-led UDF in the state.
Congress leaders in Kerala dismissed the allegations as “divisive propaganda”. KPCC spokesperson P.T. Ajay Mohan said: “The CPI(M) is deliberately misrepresenting a civic enforcement action to score cheap political points. The Karnataka government is acting against illegal encroachments, not targeting any community. The Left’s attempt to equate Congress with BJP is nothing but electoral opportunism.”
The Bengaluru demolition drive has sparked protests in Karnataka and drawn criticism from Muslim organisations across South India, amplifying the political row.
