A fresh political row has erupted in Karnataka over the proposed tunnel road project in Bengaluru, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar launching a sharp counterattack against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for criticizing the initiative.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar dismissed Surya’s objections and questioned his authority to oppose state infrastructure projects. “That boy is a waste material. When he is treated with respect and spoken to, he keeps on ranting as much as he can,” the Deputy CM remarked bluntly, as quoted by news agency ANI.
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Taking a dig at the Bengaluru South MP, Shivakumar added, “Who is this Tejasvi Surya to say no to tunnel roads? He should decide in the Lok Sabha after becoming a Union Minister that there should be no tunnel roads in this country and in the world.”
Defending his government’s infrastructure plans, Shivakumar said the Congress administration had a stronger record on urban development compared to the previous BJP regime. "We are the ones who brought the metro to this state. What did they do when they were in power? What did they bring from the centre? How many pillars did they put up in Bengaluru? How much money did they bring for the project? The central government is providing 11-12 per cent of the money for the metro project. We are providing everything ourselves, including land compensation," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Defending his government’s infrastructure plans, Shivakumar said the Congress administration had a stronger record on urban development compared to the previous BJP regime. "We are the ones who brought the metro to this state. What did they do when they were in power? What did they bring from the centre? How many pillars did they put up in Bengaluru? How much money did they bring for the project? The central government is providing 11-12 per cent of the money for the metro project. We are providing everything ourselves, including land compensation," he said.
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Earlier, Tejasvi Surya had lashed out at Shivakumar, accusing him of ignoring critical public transport projects while promoting what he called an “extravagant and unnecessary” tunnel road plan.
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He further alleged that the government had neglected proposals to strengthen BMTC services and introduce smaller feeder buses for interior areas.
(With inputs from ANI)