Actor and activist Prakash Raj on Friday strongly criticised the Karnataka government for allegedly moving forward with the Devanahalli Defence Corridor project without required approvals.
Addressing reporters at the Mysuru Press Club, he declared that farmers would not part with their land under any circumstances. He accused authorities of prioritising vested interests and real estate profiteering over genuine development, calling the land acquisition process a “shameful display of divide-and-rule politics.”
Prakash Raj further alleged that farmers have been silenced and denied a fair platform to oppose the project. He also accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of breaking promises made to the farming community.
“When he was in the opposition, he vocally opposed this project. Now in power, he hasn’t even met the farmers as he committed to do on July 15,” Prakash Raj said.
Instead, the CM met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi this week and promoted Devanahalli as the ideal site for the corridor. “If the project proceeds, he will bear full responsibility for the consequences,” Raj warned.
The proposed corridor involves acquiring 1,700 acres across 13 villages. Farmers insist the land is fertile and vital to their livelihood. Critics allege only 100 acres are intended for defence use, while the rest may be exploited for commercial ventures.
Dalit Sangarsha Samithi’s Guruprasad Keregudu and Karnataka Rajya Raith Sangha’s Badagalapura Nagendra also urged the government to abandon the plan in farmers’ interests.