Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that the Union Urban Development Minister Manoharlal Khattar praised tunnel road, flyover, and B khata conversion initiatives of the state government.
"Who is this Tejaswi Surya to say no to tunnel roads? He should decide in the Lok Sabha after becoming a Union Minister that there should be no tunnel roads in this country and in the world," he said.
Questioning the commitment of BJP leaders to Bengaluru city, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said today that they are not concerned with the development of the city.
BJP leader and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday slammed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, accusing him of rejecting key public transport proposals while pushing an "extremely costly" 18-kilometre Tunnel Road project, which he dubbed a "matrimonial project".
Reacting to his meeting with BJP MP Tejasvi Surya earlier in the day, where the latter proposed alternatives to the proposed tunnel road project, Shivakumar said that decisions must align with funding availability.
Surya, who met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar earlier in the day, said the BJP supports the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, calling it crucial for the city's long-term mobility needs, but will continue to oppose the proposed Tunnel Road plan.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting, Surya described the discussion as "very cordial and meaningful," and said it focused on long-term solutions to decongest Bengaluru. He emphasised that the city's mobility planning should prioritise public transport over car-centric infrastructure.<
"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
"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,"
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
Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar dismissed Tejasvi Surya's opposition to the tunnel road project, saying "their objective is to stop Bengaluru's development."