Karnataka Cabinet Withdraws Controversial Parks Amendment Bill Following Lalbagh Protests

The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday, September 3, 2026, decided to withdraw the controversial Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation had permitted the alienation of up to 5% of park and garden land across the state for public infrastructure projects. The withdrawal follows intense public pushback and scrutiny, culminating in major citizen demonstrations held at the iconic Lalbagh botanical garden in Bengaluru.

Under the Cabinet's latest decision, the contentious bill will now be opened for public discussion before the government considers reintroducing it in the next legislature session. The state government announced that the Governor will be formally intimated regarding the Cabinet's decision to withdraw the measure.

The amendment had previously been passed during the Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Legislature without any discussion. At that time, proceedings in the house were caught in the middle of Opposition protests demanding the resignation of B. Nagendra, allowing the bill to pass through without legislative debate.

Following its passage, the legislation sparked widespread protests spearheaded by environmental groups, civil society organisations, and Opposition BJP leaders. On August 30, thousands of citizens gathered in protest at Lalbagh against the amendment bill. Demonstrators argued that the amendment aimed specifically to facilitate the controversial tunnel road project by taking over an acre of Lalbagh land.

In response to the intense mounting pressure, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had stated on September 1 that the proposal could be reviewed and discussed again in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. That statement paved the way for Thursday's Cabinet decision to officially withdraw the bill before bringing it back for future consideration.

In another key decision taken on Thursday, the Cabinet decided to convene a three-day special session of the Karnataka Legislature starting from September 21. The special session has been called specifically in the light of farmers’ distress due to severe drought across the state.

During the scheduled three-day session, a detailed discussion on the plight of farmers and the impact of the severe drought on the public will take place. Additionally, the Cabinet decided that the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats will also be discussed in detail during the special sitting.