The opposition to the road tunnel project, which started with public outrage and public interest litigations (PILs), has now turned into personal battles with strong political overtones.
On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar once again targeted Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, while Leader of Opposition R Ashok accused the Congress of having a “threatening wave in its generational blood”.
Although the tunnel road plan was unveiled more than a year ago, the BJP staged its first full-fledged protest only on Sunday under the slogan “Save Lalbagh, Save Bengaluru”.
Initially, the BJP raised concerns about irregularities in the detailed project report (DPR). But the party’s opposition soon lost steam, except for Mr. Surya, who remained vocal in recent months.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shivakumar pushed through the project, setting up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for major infrastructure projects, securing Cabinet approval and obtaining a loan approval letter from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).
Public and activist outcry
While the policy intensified, public opposition took its own course. Civic activists Kathyayini Chamaraj and Dattatreya Devare first raised concerns through public discussions. Ecologists joined in, warning of the threat to the city’s lakes and the absence of mandatory environmental inspections.
Problems soon arose around Lalbagh and Sankey Tank. A study by Ashish Verma of the Indian Institute of Science further revealed that the project could worsen emissions without easing traffic congestion on parallel routes such as the Outer Ring Road.
The issue escalated when Mr. Devare and activist Vinay Srinivasa approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) citing environmental damage.
The move angered Mr. Shivakumar. “Whenever a development is planned, people bring a stay from the court. Now they have filed a PIL – some sadists will always be there,” he remarked at a public event.
This marked a shift from civil debate to personal attacks—and then to full-blown political sparring.
Political attacks
Soon after Mr. Shivakumar’s ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ campaign began, Mr. Surya visited Lalbagh and declared, “Neither six acres nor six inches of Lalbagh will be provided for this project.”
Mr Shivakumar insisted that the tunnel was vital to solving Bengaluru’s traffic woes, citing the stalled steel flyover as a missed opportunity. He invited Mr. Surya to offer an alternative solution.
Mr. Surya, in turn, called for the strengthening of public transport. Mr Shivakumar dismissed the idea and called Mr Surya “childish”. He added: “People don’t marry their daughters to men who don’t own cars.” Mr Surya replied that the tunnel road was meant to address “social issues, not civic issues”.
Mr Shivakumar called Mr Surya childish and “trash material”, adding: “Nobody can stop me except God.”
As tensions mounted, Congress leaders alleged that while BJP leaders in Delhi supported the project, the state unit was politicizing it.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Mr. Ashok launched a fresh attack on Sunday. “Kempegowda built Bengaluru and dreamed of saving its lakes. Mr. Shivakumar claims his father’s name is Kempegowda. Is this how you honor a name?”
He accused the Congress of inheriting a “threatening nature”, citing Mr Shivakumar’s alleged intimidation of Mr Surya, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Mohandas Pai and MLA CK Ramamurthy. “Threats in their blood; Indira Gandhi declared emergency and threatened,” he said.
In response, Mr. Shivakumar denied the allegations. “Why would I threaten anyone? Mr. Ramamurthy is my boy. Mr. Surya is a great leader – the same one who tried to open a plane door mid-air and was gifted in the US for trying to meet Trump.”
Mr. Shivakumar added, “He (Mr. Surya) tells people not to buy cars, yet he asked for one before marriage. Why not travel by bus or metro?”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also joined the fray after Mr Ashok on Sunday. “The public is not against the project – only the BJP is for political reasons. Why are they opposing a project that is supposed to facilitate traffic? Such tunnels exist all over the world,” he said.
He added that the tunnel was designed to benefit cars, buses, two-wheelers and even pedestrians.
Citizen voices
Civic activist Kathyayini Chamaraj responded to the Deputy Chief Minister’s “Only God can stop me” remark by saying, “Prajegale prabhugalu” – citizens are the real masters.
She said the case before the NGT is supported by scientific evidence and political posturing will not change the facts. “The law will take its course. The public is already conducting awareness campaigns and keeping the debate alive – that’s enough.”
Reviewing Mr. Shivakumar’s remarks, she referred to a recent public debate: “So only 25 million car owners are married and the rest of Bengaluru is not?”
Both the petitioners of the PIL declined to comment as the case is sub judice and will be heard by the NGT on Monday.
Another civic activist, requesting anonymity, said: “The opposition should focus its efforts on sustained debate and advocacy instead of occasional comments.
Published – 02 Nov 2025 21:02 IST
