BJP MP leads ‘Save Lalbagh’ protest; vows stir every Sunday

Bengaluru: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday strongly opposed the Karnataka government’s proposed tunnel road project through Lalbagh and its decision to permit the transfer of up to five per cent of park land for certain public purposes.

Leading a large-scale ‘Save Lalbagh’ protest at Lalbagh, Surya demanded that the government immediately withdraw both decisions, warning that the agitation would be intensified in the coming weeks.The protest witnessed the participation of thousands of environmentalists, morning walkers, youngsters and citizens, who raised slogans demanding that Lalbagh and Bengaluru’s green spaces be protected.

During the protest, Surya embraced rocks near the Kempegowda Tower and sang a song from late actor Rajkumar’s Gandhada Gudi. He then warned the government, saying, “This is only the trailer; the picture is yet to come.” Surya said the strong public response to the protest had demonstrated that Bengalureans were ready to stand together to protect the city’s parks and green spaces. “From 91-year-old Yellappa Reddy, who led the march, to six-month-old babies, Bengaluru stood together to protect its greenery and parks. What a beautiful city and what wonderful people,” he said.

Surya said the protest would not be restricted to Lalbagh. “Our fight will continue until the government withdraws the law allowing the transfer of five per cent of park land and completely abandons the environmentally harmful tunnel road project,” he said. He announced that protests would be organised every Sunday at different parks across Bengaluru to build pressure on the government. “We will turn this into a massive people’s movement until the government listens to the voice of citizens, corrects its mistake and stops this unwise decision,” Surya said.

He maintained that Bengaluru’s parks belong to the people and protecting them was a collective responsibility. The BJP MP’s remarks come amid growing opposition from environmentalists, citizen groups and park users to the government’s recent amendment relating to the protection of government parks.

Critics have argued that allowing even limited transfer of park land could put Bengaluru’s remaining green spaces under pressure. Surya said the campaign would continue until the government reconsidered its decisions and assured citizens that the city’s parks would be protected.