Cabinet Withdraws Parks Amendment Bill After Protests at Lalbagh

The Karnataka State Cabinet on Thursday decided to withdraw the controversial Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to allow the alienation of up to 5% of park land to facilitate the proposed tunnel road project in Bengaluru. Civil society groups and environmentalists across the city welcomed the move, hailing it as a victory for civic activism and public participation following sustained protests at landmarks including Lalbagh.

The contentious amendment had previously been passed without debate during the monsoon session of the Assembly, amid protests by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party over unrelated issues. The legislation triggered widespread pushback from citizens, environmental groups, and resident welfare associations who feared the loss of green spaces across Bengaluru, particularly around heritage areas such as Lalbagh.

Opposition to the Bill gathered momentum through an online petition that secured more than 25,000 signatures, alongside silent demonstrations organized at Lalbagh. Greenpeace India, working alongside other civil society groups, ran a campaign titled "Not 5%, Not One Inch. Leave Our Parks Alone." On August 30, a protest walk held at Lalbagh, organized by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, drew a large turnout of residents.

The opposition BJP has claimed credit for the withdrawal, with Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok stating that the government yielded within 24 hours of the party announcing its protest. He asserted that the party would continue to oppose any attempts to acquire park land in the future.

Despite the withdrawal, civic groups remain cautious. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister have clarified that the Bill will be placed before the public for wider debate and reintroduced with suitable amendments. Environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy noted that the episode should serve as a lesson for bureaucrats and advisors to respect public opinion, while N.S. Mukunda of Bengaluru Praja Vedike stressed that civic mobilization remains vital.

Activism has now pivoted toward halting the tunnel road project itself. Civic groups and political leaders, including Mr. Surya, have demanded that both the short tunnel and the North-South and East-West corridors be dropped entirely to safeguard Lalbagh and the ancient Peninsular Gneiss Rock.