BENGALURU: DCM DK Shivakumar stated that the tunnel road project is not his personal project, but a public project. He demanded that the BJP leaders, who have commenced a signature campaign against it, offer suggestions, instead of criticisms.
Replying to reporters on BJP’s signature campaign, at his Sadashivanagar residence on Sunday, Shivakumar said, “I also know how to organise a signature campaign, much better than the BJP. There is no point in criticism; let them offer suggestions.”
“BJP is nothing without RSS. The party doesn’t have any other strength. Except for 20% of the people in the party, the rest are all corrupt. Most of the people who are in the BJP are former JDS or Congress leaders,” he stated.
He questioned whether Metro trains do not go through tunnels. He recalled that he, along with former Union minister late HN Ananth Kumar, had travelled to 10 countries and prepared a report for the Metro during CM’s SM Krishna government. “Ananth Kumar and I had travelled to Delhi to submit the report to then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. This was the beginning of the Metro project,” he added.
Responding to allegations by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka that Shivakumar threatened BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, he questioned why he would threaten anyone.
Mocking Surya, Shivakumar said, “Tejasvi Surya is a big leader. He is a clever politician, and that is why he tried to open the emergency door of an aircraft. He also got admonished in the US for trying to meet US President Donald Trump.”
“He (Surya) asks people not to travel by car, but he had applied for a new car before his wedding. We can release his application if you want. Why did he need a new car? Why can’t he travel by Metro or bus as he advocates?” Shivakumar questioned.
“Surya is asking us to do a rail project. Where is the land for the project? Where is the place to have a Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS)? Does he have brains? Jagadish Shettar failed in the BRTS project in Hubballi,” he added.
“We have carried out all sorts of studies on tunnel road. I am not a fool to destroy Lalbagh. I know its history, and I know what is being used and what is not, in the park. The BJP opposes all development projects. They opposed the steel bridge when KJ George was the Bengaluru Development minister,” he said.
