‘Bengaluru needs vision, not ego battles’: Tejasvi Surya on duel over tunnel project

BENGALURU: Responding to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who recently defended Bengaluru’s tunnel project and called Surya “an empty vessel”, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said on Saturday that Bengaluru’s future cannot be shaped by political ego clashes but by a shared vision for sustainable development.

Surya said that his opposition is rooted in concern for the city’s long-term well-being. “Our opposition to the tunnel road is not just restricted to the damage it will cause to Lalbagh and Sankey Tank, but to the whole of the city. The project will worsen traffic in Bengaluru and not address the core issue, which is reducing private vehicles and increasing public transport,” he told reporters.

Calling for cooperation instead of confrontation, Surya added, “Bengaluru will not benefit from an ego fight between DK Shivakumar and Tejasvi Surya. What Bengaluru needs today is a comprehensive urban mobility plan. We don’t have objections to the completion of pending flyovers in the city. Our objection is only to the tunnel road because it won’t solve the problem. It’s going to be a waste of public money.”

Responding to Shivakumar’s personal jibe, Surya said that he would not resort to name-calling. “What the city needs is bipartisan leadership and mature political leadership. It is very easy for me also to indulge in name-calling, but that is not what I want to do. I hope that we all can work together to actually make Bengaluru one of the most livable cities in the world. That should be our vision,” Surya said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya says, “Our opposition to the tunnel road is not just restricted to the damage it will cause to Lal Bagh and Sankey Tank, but to the whole of the city, and also because the project will only worsen traffic in Bengaluru and not… pic.twitter.com/E4z7yP9rEA

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Earlier on Sunday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and advocate Tejasvi Surya appeared before the Karnataka High Court, representing actor Prakash Belawadi in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the proposed Tunnel Road project at Lalbagh Rock in Bengaluru.

The petition questions the lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project and the absence of consultation with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA). It raises concerns about the Detailed Project Report (DPR), particularly the tunnel alignment that passes beneath the historic Lalbagh Rock.

He also cautioned that the 3,000-million-year-old Lalbagh Rock, recognised as a National Geological Monument, faces a serious threat due to the proposed alignment. Surya had previously called the project “daytime loot” and alleged that it is driven by real estate interests, noting that the DPR includes a commercial complex.

Appearing before the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Surya highlighted that the project’s plan would acquire approximately 6.5 acres within the historic Lalbagh Botanical Garden, which he argued would threaten the ancient Lalbagh Rock, a protected geological monument. He claimed that public access to the area had already been restricted.

Citing the Uttarakhand tunnel disaster, Surya called for a comprehensive safety review before any tunnelling could begin.

A bench of Chief Justice of Karnataka Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha assured that the issue would be examined in detail and directed the Additional Government Advocate (AGA), appearing on behalf of the state, to provide information regarding the proposal for tree cutting associated with the project. (ANI)