Bengaluru residents protest potholes, bad roads with 'no roads, no tax' movement. Watch

Residents in Varthur, Bengaluru, staged a protest over poor infrastructure, chanting 'no roads, no tax!' in demand for better roads.

Angry and frustrated over deteriorating infrastructure, several Bengaluru residents took to the streets this week, chanting the now-viral slogan: "No roads, no tax!" The protest, captured in a widely circulated video on social media, shows citizens marching through a street full of sludge, demanding accountability from local and state authorities.

Bengaluru residents expressed frustration over deteriorating infrastructure, leading to a protest demanding better roads and accountability from the government, captured in a viral video showing citizens marching through poorly maintained streets. (X)

The video, which has garnered more than four thousand views, features residents expressing outrage over the poor state of roads, and what they describe as an “inept government.” Protesters can be heard shouting slogans like “We want better roads!”

“No Roads, No Tax! Bangalore citizens are sick of the inept government. India needs an infrastructure revolution. Corrupt politicians need a wake-up call,” read the caption of a social media post by a Bengaluru resident, echoing the mood of the demonstrators.

What began as isolated grumblings in neighbourhood forums has now grown into a broader civic movement. The “no roads, no tax” protest is not just about potholes, say organizers, but about years of systemic neglect.

Several residents responded to the video on X, saying, “Unless citizens see themselves as a check on politicians on both sides instead of taking sides, they'll be taken for granted.”

“Never going to happen under the current system, which is the heir to the "spoils" system of Americain the 1870s. To wit, politics only determines which set of brigands gets to loot public money until the next election,” another wrote in response.

Bengaluru, once celebrated as India’s tech capital, is now grappling with mounting civic issues that have left residents increasingly frustrated.