BENGALURU: The Karnataka BJP launched a public awareness campaign at Lalbagh on November 2 against the state government’s ambitious but controversial tunnel road project, warning that it would damage Bengaluru’s fragile environment, push the state’s economy deeper into debt, and serve only the city’s wealthy car owners.
Senior BJP leaders, including Opposition leader R. Ashok, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, and Malleswaram MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, led the campaign, interacting with citizens, collecting signatures, and holding discussions on the ecological and financial implications of the proposed project.
Speaking to reporters, R. Ashok said the tunnel road plan reflected the Congress government’s misplaced priorities. “Before building a tunnel road, close the potholes on the existing roads,” he remarked sharply. “They are digging a hole in Bengaluru’s vegetable patch, Lalbagh, which has a legacy of environmentalists. This project will destroy the lungs of the city.”
Ashok said the government’s idea of using six acres of Lalbagh land for the tunnel was nothing short of environmental vandalism. “Whoever comes to Bengaluru, the first thing they see is Lalbagh and Vidhana Soudha. The government wants to turn Lalbagh into a concrete market. This decision will remain long after we are gone,” he said.
The BJP leader further said the tunnel road would cater to only a small section of the population. “About 70 per cent of Bengalureans use two-wheelers. This project is for only 10 per cent of the people — car owners. Bikes and cycles won’t even be allowed. It’s not a twin tunnel road, it’s a VIP corridor,” he said.
ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸಚಿವ ನಿತಿನ್ ಗಡ್ಕರಿ ಅವರ ಹೆಸರು ಹೇಳಿಕೊಂಡು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ನವರು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿ ಹಬ್ಬಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ನಿತಿನ್ ಗಡ್ಕರಿ ಅವರು ಮುಂದಿನ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಸುರಂಗ ಪ್ರಾಜೆಕ್ಟ್ ವಿರೋಧಿಸಿದ ಮರುದಿನವೇ ಯೋಜನೆಯನ್ನು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಕೈಬಿಡಬೇಕು.
– ಶ್ರೀ @Tejasvi_Surya , ಸಂಸದರು ಹಾಗೂ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಯುವ ಮೋರ್ಚಾ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ… pic.twitter.com/I71KdszDFd
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) November 2, 2025
Ashok also criticised the project’s astronomical cost. “Each kilometre will cost Rs 1,285 crore — even ISRO’s Mars mission was cheaper. The government plans to take out huge loans for this luxury project. How will they repay the interest? This is pushing Karnataka into a debt trap,” he warned.
He added that the Congress government was risking the geological stability of the region. “Kempegowda built this city on solid rock so it would stand strong for centuries. Now they are going to drill through those same rocks — three thousand million years old — for a project that has no benefit for ordinary citizens,” he alleged.
MP Tejasvi Surya also tore into the government, accusing it of bypassing environmental and civic approvals. “They are creating inlets and outlets inside Lalbagh and Sankey Tank without any permission. Only 12% of Bengaluru’s population owns cars. This tunnel road is being built for the rich elite,” he said.
Surya said the BJP’s opposition was not political but people-driven. “This is not Tejasvi Surya opposing it; it is the people of Bengaluru. The officials don’t have answers to our questions. Let’s see how they respond when the court asks them,” he said.
He also refuted the Congress’s claim that Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari supported the project. “They are circulating an unrelated video of Gadkari to claim he approved this plan. When I spoke to Gadkari about this specific project, he was shocked. He never gave permission. Misusing his name is deceitful,” Surya added.
MLA Ashwath Narayan emphasised that the government should focus on fixing the city’s existing infrastructure rather than announcing “showpiece” projects. “The roads in Bengaluru are full of potholes, flooding is rampant, and traffic congestion is at its peak. Instead of solving these problems, the government wants to build an underground road for luxury cars,” he said.
The BJP leaders stated that they would continue their awareness campaign across the city, mobilising citizens, environmentalists, and civic activists to oppose the project.
“The Congress government is destroying Bengaluru’s identity and greenery in the name of modernisation,” Ashok said, concluding the event. “We are not against development — but not at the cost of our environment, our economy, and the people’s trust.”
