BJP leaders launch signature campaign in Lalbagh against Bengaluru tunnel road project

Under the banner “Save Bengaluru, Stop Tunnel Road,” BJP leaders led by R. Ashoka and Tejasvi Surya launch a mass signature campaign opposing the state government’s tunnel project.

A major political protest unfolded in Bengaluru as Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and MP Tejasvi Surya spearheaded a signature campaign against the state government’s controversial tunnel road project. The campaign, held under the slogan “Save Bengaluru, Stop Tunnel Road,” began at the iconic Lalbagh on Sunday morning, drawing public attention to what BJP leaders call an “environmentally destructive and legally flawed project.”

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Senior BJP MLAs, including C.K. Ramamurthy and several party workers, joined the initiative. The leaders interacted with morning walkers at Lalbagh, urging citizens to sign petitions opposing the project.

During the visit, R. Ashoka and Tejasvi Surya held discussions with Lalbagh Joint Director Jagadish, seeking clarity on the proposed tunnel’s route through the heritage park. Jagadish informed them that no official permission has been granted for the project and that using even six acres of Lalbagh land would be a violation of existing environmental laws.

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Ashoka questioned the legality of the proposal, reminding officials that any construction inside Lalbagh requires government clearance under the 1975 Act, which mandates the preservation of the botanical garden. He further emphasized that no land, building, or public space within Lalbagh can be sold, leased, or licensed, calling any such move “illegal and objectionable.”

Officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), including Chief Engineer Prahlad, briefed Ashoka on the project’s Detailed Project Report (DPR). Ashoka asserted that future governments must protect heritage spaces and not leave behind “orders that harm Bengaluru’s environment.”