The political battle over Bengaluru’s ambitious Tunnel Road project has escalated sharply, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka launching a large-scale campaign against what it calls an elitist, environmentally destructive, and fiscally reckless proposal. On Sunday, the opposition party, led by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, organized a massive silent protest and signature drive at Lalbagh Hill, marking one of the biggest mobilizations against the Congress government’s infrastructure plans. The campaign, branded under the slogan “Save Lalbagh, Protect Bengaluru,” drew thousands of citizens, party workers, and activists, turning the protest into a symbolic show of strength for the BJP.
Ashoka and other senior BJP leaders accused the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, of promoting a project that caters to a privileged few while ignoring the real transportation and environmental challenges of the city. The ₹16,000-crore Tunnel Road project, aimed at easing Bengaluru’s infamous traffic congestion, has become a flashpoint in Karnataka’s political discourse, pitting the ruling Congress’s vision of high-profile urban infrastructure against the BJP’s call for sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions.
BJP’s Offensive Against Congress’s “Vanity Project”
Addressing the crowd at Lalbagh, R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on the state government, calling the project “unscientific, unnecessary, and elitist.” He asserted that the Congress government was using the tunnel project as a “political cash machine,” suggesting it was designed more for financial gain than for solving the city’s transportation problems. “This is not a public road—it’s a VIP lane,” Ashoka said, accusing the ruling party of prioritizing high-end development projects at the cost of public welfare.
Ashoka alleged that the tunnel project was being used to raise election funds for Congress campaigns in other states such as Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Without offering evidence, he claimed, “Instead of solving Bengaluru’s traffic crisis through practical solutions, the government is chasing a vanity project that benefits no one but contractors and middlemen.” He added that the BJP’s opposition was not against development but against “wasteful and unscientific” urban planning.
The BJP leader emphasized that instead of pouring money into luxury tunnels, the government should focus on expanding Bengaluru’s Metro network and strengthening its public transportation infrastructure. “The Metro can carry 60,000 people at once, while this tunnel will handle just 19,000 cars. It’s an absurd imbalance,” he said. “Cities across the world have reduced traffic through robust mass transit systems, not by building expensive underground lanes for private cars.”
He further accused the Congress of fiscal irresponsibility, pointing out that the project’s estimated cost is four times Bengaluru’s annual tax revenue. “The government plans to borrow ₹8,000 crore for this tunnel—double what the city earns. Karnataka is already under financial strain because of the Congress’s guarantee schemes, and this project will only bury us deeper in debt,” he said.
Ashoka also cited reports indicating that the Bengaluru Smart City Limited had pledged its advertisement revenue to the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) to secure loans. “They are mortgaging Bengaluru’s future for commissions,” he alleged.
During his fiery address, Ashoka ridiculed the proposed toll of ₹600 per trip for commuters, calling it “insane and discriminatory.” According to him, such toll rates would make daily commuting unaffordable for most residents. “At ₹600 a trip, a regular user will spend nearly ₹20,000 a month. Ninety percent of this city’s population is middle class, and seventy percent use two-wheelers. A car-only tunnel is absurd. This project serves the elite, not the people,” he said.
Protests, Signature Campaigns, and Accusations Over Environmental Impact
The demonstration at Lalbagh, which the BJP claims drew a larger crowd than D.K. Shivakumar’s earlier “Walk with Bengaluru” rally, also served as the launch of a state-wide signature campaign urging the government to withdraw the Tunnel Road project altogether. Hundreds of people joined Ashoka in signing the petition after he inspected the Lalbagh premises. The event, marked by placards, banners, and a silent march, was framed as a movement to protect Bengaluru’s heritage spaces from commercial exploitation.
BJP leaders accused the Congress government of targeting iconic public spaces like Lalbagh, Sankey Tank, and Krishna Rao Park to avoid the high cost of private land acquisition. “They want to cut through parks and lakes because private land is expensive,” Ashoka said. “Lalbagh is a paradise of plants, and Sankey Tank is one of the city’s oldest and most loved public spaces. The government cannot destroy these treasures for a tunnel.”
He reminded the audience that the Congress had once opposed road widening projects near Sankey Tank when it was in opposition. “The same party that protested then is now pushing for a tunnel in the same area. The hypocrisy is glaring,” he said. Ashoka also pointed out that despite the government having issued tenders in July, the project had not received approval from more than 120 departments.
Tejasvi Surya, the Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South, joined the campaign and echoed Ashoka’s sentiments. He called the project “scientifically unsound” and warned that it could actually worsen traffic congestion rather than alleviate it. “Even the Detailed Project Report predicts 22 new choke points at entry and exit ramps. There has been no public consultation, no environmental clearance, and no geological study. This is not how cities are planned,” Surya said.
Surya has been among the most vocal critics of the Tunnel Road plan, often clashing with D.K. Shivakumar over the issue. The dispute reached a new high last week when Shivakumar dismissed Surya as “childish” and “waste material,” prompting Ashoka to defend the MP and intensify the opposition’s protests.
Ashoka used the platform to take further digs at the city’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), accusing it of failing to maintain even basic infrastructure. “Bengaluru has 25,000 potholes—perhaps a world record,” he quipped. “The Ejipura flyover has taken ten years to build, and fifty other projects are still incomplete. How can we trust them to build a massive underground tunnel? Our generation won’t see it completed. Maybe our great-grandchildren will.”
In a sarcastic remark that drew laughter from the crowd, Ashoka said, “Why stop here? Why not build a tunnel to the moon? At least that would be something new.”
The BJP’s protests have also gained traction among urban planners and environmental activists who have raised serious concerns about the project’s long-term ecological and financial implications. Critics argue that the tunnel, which will run through some of the city’s most densely populated and green zones, could damage Bengaluru’s delicate water table and cause irreversible harm to its urban ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the Congress government continues to defend its decision. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who has championed the project as part of Bengaluru’s future mobility vision, accused the BJP of politicizing every developmental initiative. “We have conducted all necessary studies,” Shivakumar said, responding to the BJP’s allegations. “I am not a fool to destroy Lalbagh. I know its history and its importance. We have ensured that the tunnel will not affect protected areas.”
Shivakumar added that he was open to reviewing the project under a committee led by R. Ashoka himself. “The BJP opposed the steel bridge project during K.J. George’s time too. I am ready to form a committee under Ashoka’s leadership to study this project. If there are genuine concerns, we will address them,” he said.
Despite his assurances, opposition leaders remain unconvinced. They insist that the project’s massive budget, lack of public transparency, and potential environmental risks make it an unsustainable and reckless initiative. The BJP has vowed to continue its protests until the government withdraws the proposal or subjects it to a full public review.
As the protests grow in intensity, Bengaluru’s Tunnel Road project has emerged as a new fault line in Karnataka’s political landscape. It represents a larger ideological battle between the Congress’s push for high-visibility infrastructure and the BJP’s narrative of practical, people-centric governance. Whether the project moves forward or is stalled under public pressure, the issue has already redefined the contours of political discourse in the state, with both sides using it as a rallying point ahead of upcoming elections.
