‘Let him give suggestions; no one can stop me. Only God can stop me’: DK Shivakumar on Tejasvi Surya’s opposition to Bengaluru tunnel road

BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday confirmed that BJP MP Tejasvi Surya had sought a meeting with him to discuss the proposed Bengaluru Tunnel Road project and said he was open to hearing the latter’s suggestions.

Addressing mediapersons here, Shivakumar said, “He (Tejasvi Surya) has asked for time, and I have told him that we will meet on Tuesday. Let him give suggestions; no one can stop me. Only God can stop me. There is a law in this country.”

The Congress leader further cited examples from other metropolitan cities. “You have seen tunnels in Mumbai, Delhi, and so many other places. Let him give suggestions; he (Tejasvi Surya) is an MP, and I welcome him. He should help us, he should get money from the Prime Minister and give alternatives. Let them give a solution; if there are good solutions, we will openly debate and discuss them,” Shivakumar said.

Earlier today, BJP MP Surya confirmed that he has sought a meeting with Shivakumar to present alternative solutions to the tunnel project, which he believes will worsen Bengaluru’s infrastructure and environmental issues. “I had requested time from DK Shivakumar. I contacted his office and asked for a meeting. During the meeting, I intend to bring to his attention possible alternative solutions to the tunnel road project,” the MP said.

Surya added that he had asked for 30 minutes with Shivakumar to explain the drawbacks of the proposed tunnel, which he claimed will damage properties worth thousands of crores and endanger the city’s heritage spots like Sankey Tank and Lalbagh. “Some officials are not giving him the complete information about the drawbacks. Once he understands the project’s limitations, he will likely be convinced,” Surya said.

The BJP MP also revealed that senior theatre artist Prakash Belawadi has filed petitions in the High Court and the NGT questioning the project’s legality and environmental impact. “I myself will be arguing this case in the High Court. One round of hearing has already taken place,” he said.

Shivakumar had recently defended Bengaluru’s tunnel project and called Surya “an empty vessel. Surya said 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.

Earlier today 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. (ANI)