Bengaluru, Dec. 31 -- A decision by the Karnataka government to provide alternate housing to families displaced by a demolition drive in north Bengaluru has triggered political exchange, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Congress of appeasement politics and the government insisting that the relief is limited to eligible beneficiaries on humanitarian grounds.

The dispute follows the demolition of more than 400 houses in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony in Kogilu on December 20 by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited. Officials said the structures were illegal and claimed that many of the occupants were migrants from other states. The action, which largely affected Muslim families, drew criticism from political leaders and...