Thousands of citizens, environmental activists, resident welfare associations and walkers gathered at Bengaluru's Lalbagh Botanical Garden on Sunday to protest against the proposed Hebbal-Central Silk Board tunnel road project and a recent amendment allowing up to 5% of government parkland to be diverted for specified infrastructure projects.
The protest, titled "Walk in Lalbagh, Walk for Lalbagh," began at 7 am from the park's West Gate. Participants raised slogans and demanded that not even an inch of Lalbagh be used for infrastructure or other development projects.
BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, C N Manjunath and P C Mohan, along with Lalbagh and Cubbon Park Expert Committee chief adviser A N Yellappa Reddy, joined the campaign. Several citizen groups, RWAs and pro-Kannada organisations also took part.
The protest follows the passage of the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by both Houses of the state legislature on August 24. The amendment permits up to 5% of the total area of a government park or garden to be alienated for specified public infrastructure and utility projects undertaken by government departments, statutory authorities, government companies or local bodies.
The provision has triggered strong opposition from citizens and environmental groups, particularly because of its potential implications for the proposed 17-km Hebbal-Central Silk Board tunnel road. The project is expected to require Lalbagh land for ramps, shafts and related infrastructure, with estimates indicating around six acres could be required temporarily and about one acre permanently.
Protesters argued that Lalbagh is not merely open land but an important ecological and geological heritage site. The park is home to the nearly three-billion-year-old Peninsular Gneiss rock, which became a focal point during Sunday's demonstration. Some protesters sat and lay on the rock while reiterating their demand that the park remain untouched.
Tejasvi Surya said more than 5,000 people had gathered for what he described as an organic, citizen-led movement. He criticised the government for allowing green spaces to be used for infrastructure and called for the tunnel road project and the 5% parkland provision to be opposed.
#Lalbagh public protest against The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 that allows govt to use up to 5% of any public park for infrastructure & utility projects. They launch postcard campaign @DKShivakumar@XpressBengaluru @AshwiniMS_TNIE pic.twitter.com/3wJhgSQeae
— Hirehalli Bhyraiah Devaraj (@swaraj76) August 30, 2026
The protesters have also demanded that the government withdraw the amendment and abandon the proposed tunnel corridor. Meanwhile, Opposition parties have approached Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, seeking that he withhold assent to the legislation.
Massive crowds gather at Lalbagh to protest the government’s decision to set aside 5% of the park’s space for infrastructure projects
— Naveen Menezes (@naveenmzs) August 30, 2026
This is perhaps Bengaluru’s first major civic protest in a decade.@NammaBengaluroo @Tejasvi_Surya @vinaysreeni @srinualavilli @solidview pic.twitter.com/Kshn6Inyqq
The Karnataka government has maintained that the amendment is meant for specified public utility projects and includes safeguards, including scrutiny by a high-level evaluation mechanism. The dispute over the tunnel road and the future use of Bengaluru's green spaces, however, continues to intensify.
