Bengaluru | September 5, 2026 — BJP leaders, including Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, have renewed their opposition to the Bengaluru tunnel road project, alleging that its construction could affect lake buffer land and questioning the rise in estimated project costs. Speaking at the BJP office on Friday, Surya also called for a public campaign to protect the city’s lakes.
Surya said Bengaluru’s parks had been protected temporarily following public protests, but claimed that a similar mobilisation would now be required to safeguard the city’s lakes. He alleged that the state government had attempted to introduce legislation that could enable the use of park land and said the public movement had resulted in a temporary victory for residents.
The MP specifically referred to ongoing work in the Hebbal area, alleging that 3.5 acres of land was being used for the project and that the site involved lake and buffer-zone land. He also criticised a lake-related Bill, claiming that it had earlier been returned by the Governor after objections relating to a Supreme Court ruling, but was later passed again. The report did not include the text of the Bill, the Governor’s communication or an official response from the state government.
Surya further alleged that the tunnel road project was being advanced without adequate preparation or a scientific study. He said the first package’s estimated cost had increased from Rs 5,484 crore to Rs 10,734 crore, while the second package was estimated at Rs 11,263 crore. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who also addressed the gathering, questioned how the first package had risen by about 97% and called for a detailed study of Bengaluru’s traffic before the project proceeds.
Karandlaje also referred to a government circular stating that a tender premium should not exceed 5%, and alleged that the project could result in the misuse of public funds. These claims were made at the BJP event and were not independently established in the report. The report did not provide the tender documents, the government’s cost calculations or the technical report reportedly sought by the Karnataka High Court.
The BJP leaders also questioned whether a tunnel road would benefit enough commuters compared with investment in public transport. Surya said metro expansion could serve thousands of daily passengers, while a tunnel road would benefit fewer users. BJP MP PC Mohan alleged that the state government had awarded the tunnel project to the Adani group, but the report did not provide documentary evidence or a response from the government or the company.
The leaders said the opposition would continue and urged residents to maintain pressure on the government over parks, lakes and the tunnel road. The next official steps, including the release of any technical assessment, clarification on the land being used near Hebbal and the status of the project tenders, were not specified in the report.
