The government must prioritise heritage protection and safeguard Bengaluru’s fragile ecological balance, says Ashoka.
Bengaluru
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that the proposed Bengaluru Tunnel Road Project poses a grave threat to the iconic Lalbagh Botanical Garden and the city’s environment.
Ashoka warned that thousands of trees could be felled and nearly six acres of Lalbagh’s land lost, causing irreversible damage to the city’s green cover and ecological balance. “Bengaluru’s pride — Lalbagh, our city’s green lungs and living heritage — is now under grave threat from the reckless ₹26,000 crore Tunnel Road project being pushed by D.K. Shivakumar,” he wrote on X.
He said experts, civic groups, and environmentalists have repeatedly raised red flags, but the Congress government continues to push ahead “with arrogance and disregard for Bengaluru’s identity.” Tagging Rahul Gandhi in his post, Ashoka urged him to speak up “before his own party destroys our green heritage.”
The 28-kilometre tunnel project, designed to connect Hebbal in the north to the Central Silk Board in the south, includes multiple entry and exit points near Mekhri Circle, Palace Grounds, Lalbagh, and Dairy Circle.
Calling Lalbagh the “soul of Bengaluru,” Ashoka said no political leader has the right to destroy it for “showmanship.” He vowed that the BJP would stand firmly with citizens to protect Namma Lalbagh and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to “immediately drop this disastrous plan.”