Kannada activists protest unsealing of Bigg Boss studio at Karnataka's Bidadi

Bengaluru: A protest by pro-Kannada activists at Jollywood Studios and Adventures, the set of the popular Kannada reality show 'Bigg Boss' at Bidadi, ended in detentions on Thursday after demonstrators accused Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the district administration of "bending" environmental norms to favour the high-profile establishment. 

The outrage follows the controversial unsealing of the studio, which the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had earlier issued closure order for various environmental violations, including operating without mandatory consents under the Water and Air Acts. 

The protest, led by organisations including the Kasturi Kannada Janapara Vedike's T Neelesh Gowda and another leader Narasimhamurthy, saw activists staging a demonstration in front of the Bidadi-based park. 

Protesters chanted slogans and some leaders, including women activists, attempted to force their way inside the premises by climbing the main gate. The police intervened and detained the demonstrators. 

The activists questioned the alacrity with which the lock was cleared for the studio, contrasting it with the strict action taken against over 150 factories that remain shut for similar environmental non-compliance. 

"The deputy commissioner had earlier acted decisively to send the Bigg Boss contestants out, even on a government holiday, to enforce the KSPCB order," said Narasimhamurthy, a protest leader. "The same district administration has now yielded to the deputy chief minister, allegedly pushing the rules aside for the studio. Why is there one justice for a TV show and another for factories that employ thousands of people?" 

Adding a political dimension to the controversy, Narasimhamurthy alleged that the DCM's office had acted under external pressure. Jollywood Park, owned by Vels Studios and Entertainment Limited, is a Tamil Nadu-based company. 

Narasimhamurthy claimed that the lock was cleared immediately after an intervention from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who allegedly contacted Shivakumar regarding the closure. 

The studio was originally sealed after KSPCB inspectors found serious violations, including the reported absence of a functioning Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and improper waste management, posing a threat to the local ecosystem. The sudden unsealing to allow the resumption of the three-month-long reality show, while local industries remain locked out, is at the core of the ongoing condemnation. 

A KSPCB official noted that there was no change in the board's opinion. "It's a unit established without even obtaining the consent. The closure order is very much in force. Since the matter is sub judice, it is not appropriate to comment on it," the official said, speaking anonymously.