Bengaluru's Pothole Plight: A Political Blame Battle

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Saturday took aim at the Karnataka Congress government, blaming them for the deteriorating road conditions in Bengaluru. He specifically urged Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to prioritize upgrading the roads. Surya described the constant pothole repairs as a scam, calling it a 'golden goose' for the state government with allegations of public fund misuse.

Surya questioned the inefficacy of efforts to improve the city's roads. He remarked, 'The Deputy CM must focus on how Bengaluru's roads can be made better. If the roads of Delhi are bad, then the people of Delhi will ask questions to the appropriate authority there... However, the repeated filling of potholes is also a scam.' This situation has prompted BJP MLA K Gopalaiah and supporters to protest outside Bengaluru's Kanteerava Studios.

Additional criticism came from BJP leader NL Narendra Babu, who labeled Bengaluru a 'pothole city.' He commented, 'Bengaluru was once celebrated as a retired man's paradise, IT City, and BT City. Today, it's been reduced to a pothole city. Who bears the responsibility for this?'

Narendra Babu expressed frustration with the government's response, citing inaction despite directives from CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar. 'The present Government should have filled these potholes within one month, as stated by the CM,' he argued, placing blame on the officials. 'Despite the Deputy CM's warnings, officials remain absent from the streets.'

Caught in political crossfire, DK Shivakumar shifted blame to the previous BJP-led government for the current road issues. 'BJP manufactured these potholes during their regime and are responsible for Karnataka's poor road administration,' Shivakumar asserted while speaking to reporters in Patna amid mounting public criticism.

(With inputs from agencies.)