Tejasvi Surya seeks rethink on Karnataka parks Bill

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday urged Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to return a Bill allowing portions of park and garden land to be used for public infrastructure and utility projects to the legislature for reconsideration.

He alleged that the legislation could put the state's green spaces at risk of irreversible diversion.

A delegation of citizens, walkers' associations and former senior government officials, led by Surya, met the governor and submitted a memorandum.

The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed by both Houses of the state legislature on Monday, seeks to amend the 1975 Act. It was passed without discussion amid protests by the Opposition, which was demanding the resignation of Minister B Nagendra.

Later, speaking to reporters, Surya warned that a mass public movement would be launched in Bengaluru to protect its parks and environment.

"The issue is not politics, but a public issue; it is Bengaluru's issue. To stop this arrogance, we will launch a mass movement. People on every street in Bengaluru will come forward and raise their voices to protect the city's parks and environment. I warn the CM that we will organise this mass movement," he said.

"On August 30, citizens will hold a walk inside Lalbagh, demanding that this unscientific and unconstitutional move be dropped," he added.

In a letter to the governor, Surya said the Bill was passed "without substantive debate", despite concerns raised by citizens, civil society organisations, experts and former senior government officials.

The amendment allows the state government to alienate land in government parks and gardens through sale, lease, gift, exchange, mortgage or otherwise, up to an overall limit of five per cent of the total area of land or buildings comprising such parks and gardens.

The provision applies to government departments, statutory authorities, government companies and local authorities for public utility projects. Land already alienated through such means would also count towards the five per cent ceiling, he said.

Surya contended that allowing the diversion of park land was "arbitrary" and raised concerns over the right to a healthy environment, which has been recognised as an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Public parks and natural heritage properties are not merely parcels of land but intergenerational assets that support biodiversity, provide clean air, and offer spaces for health, recreation and public well-being, he said.

Citing Supreme Court judgments, the BJP MP said the apex court had emphasised the importance of protecting parks and open spaces and held that public interest in preserving them could not be sacrificed by leasing or selling such land for other uses.

Surya raised concerns over the proposed Tunnel Road project in Bengaluru, saying it would reportedly require around 1.92 hectares, or nearly five acres, of Lalbagh for the construction of a tunnel and shaft.

He referred to the proposed Hebbal Short Tunnel, which, he claimed, would require around 3.45 acres of Hebbal Lake, an ecologically important water body and groundwater-recharge area.

The Detailed Project Report for the Tunnel Road project envisages parking and a commercial complex around the shaft, he alleged. Lalbagh, he added, is home to the approximately three-billion-year-old Peninsular Gneiss and is an important ecological and geological heritage site.

According to Surya, Bengaluru has around 1,353 parks spread across approximately 1,308 acres.

The North City Corporation has 336 parks, South City Corporation 304, Central City Corporation 210, West City Corporation 468 and East City Corporation 35, he said.

"At five per cent, approximately 65.4 acres of Bengaluru's already limited parkland could potentially be at risk of diversion," Surya said.

He pointed out that Lalbagh, spread across around 240 acres, and Cubbon Park, covering approximately 197 acres, together account for 437 acres.

"At five per cent, this could potentially place 12 acres of Lalbagh and 9.85 acres of Cubbon Park, or nearly 22 acres from these two iconic green spaces alone, at risk of diversion," he said.

The MP said the amendment was particularly concerning at a time when Bengaluru was facing shrinking green cover and rapid urbanisation.

Surya said citizens, civil society groups and public representatives had opposed the amendment through letters, social media campaigns and protests following the state Cabinet's decision to amend the Act.

He said he had written to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, as well as MLAs, MLCs and MPs, urging them not to proceed with the Bill. Former senior government officials had raised concerns over its potential impact on the state's parks and green spaces, he said.

Describing the amendment to the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, as "retrogressive and not in the public interest", Surya said the government had not clearly defined "public utility" or provided adequate safeguards against its misuse for large-scale real estate or commercial projects.

"Any diversion of park land must be subject to strict safeguards, environmental assessment, transparency and meaningful public consultation," he said.

In view of the constitutional, environmental and public interest concerns, Surya urged the governor to exercise his powers under Article 200 and refer the legislation back to the state legislature for reconsideration.

He urged the governor to ensure that Karnataka's protected parks and green spaces were not subjected to irreversible diversion without "the fullest constitutional, environmental and public scrutiny".