Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has alleged that his speech was removed from the final programme for the inauguration of the Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to open the 7.5-km elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere.
Gowda said on Thursday that his address had been included in the draft programme but was omitted from the final schedule issued the previous night. He shared what he described as the draft and revised versions of the programme on X. The minister did not identify who was responsible for the alleged change or attribute the decision to a particular authority.
“Reward for seeking justice for Karnataka… my speech cut. No opportunity for the Bengaluru Development Minister to speak at the Metro inauguration,” Gowda said in his post. He added that the minister’s speech had been allotted a slot in the draft programme before being removed from the final list.
The dispute comes a day after Gowda publicly demanded a larger central contribution to Bengaluru’s Metro projects. He said Karnataka was bearing nearly 84 per cent of the combined costs of Metro Phases 1, 2, 2A, 2B and the estimated expenditure on Phase 3, while the Centre’s contribution was about 16 per cent.
According to the figures presented by Gowda, the combined project outlay for the phases was Rs 77,891 crore. Karnataka’s contribution was Rs 65,291 crore, or approximately 84 per cent, while the Centre’s share was Rs 12,600 crore, or around 16 per cent. He said the state was effectively investing nearly five rupees for every rupee contributed by the Centre.
Gowda argued that the combined calculation showed a financial burden substantially different from the 50:50 funding arrangement often cited for Metro projects. He also said the Centre’s share had declined across successive phases after being substantially higher during the initial phase.
The minister linked his demand to Bengaluru’s economic contribution, saying the city was among the country’s largest contributors to GST and income tax and a major source of foreign exchange earnings through its technology and services sectors. He urged the Prime Minister to increase central funding and expedite approvals for the city’s Metro expansion.
The Pink Line elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere has been developed at a cost of around Rs 3,470 crore. Its inauguration is scheduled for Friday, with the event placing the latest phase of Bengaluru’s rapid transit expansion in the public spotlight.
The programme dispute remains framed as an allegation by Gowda, who has not named the authority responsible for removing his speech. The scheduled inauguration and the next steps for Bengaluru’s Metro projects are expected to determine the immediate focus of the event.
