Belagavi, July 10 -- Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday defended the state government's footpath encroachment clearance drive in Bengaluru, saying the objective was to make the city more pedestrian-friendly while ensuring that street vendors were relocated to designated areas instead of being removed.

Speaking in Belagavi, Shivakumar said the decision followed consultations with legislators across party lines and was aimed at addressing traffic congestion and ensuring compliance with Supreme Court directions.

"For the past two days I have been touring Belagavi. When I was Bengaluru minister, I called all MLAs from BJP, JD(S), Congress and discussed street vendors. Everyone agreed unanimously that vendors causing traffic p...