Karnataka withdraws parks bill after protests over tunnel road plan
After protests, the Karnataka government has pulled back its controversial Parks Bill, which would have let 5% of parkland be used for a tunnel road.
The move comes after strong pushback from citizens, environmentalists, and groups who rallied online and on the streets. One petition even got over 25,000 signatures.
Activists are calling this a big win for people power.
Karnataka to hold consultations, BJP opposes
Even though the bill is off the table for now, the government says it will hold public consultations and might bring back a new version later. That's got some folks worried.
The opposition BJP is promising to fight any future plans to use parkland, while civic groups are now asking for the tunnel road project itself to be scrapped.
As environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy put it, this was a lesson for bureaucrats, technocrats, and government advisors, who should be attentive to public opinion and act in citizens' interest.