Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar Friday defended the withdrawal of the Karnataka Govt Parks (Preservation) Amendment Bill, insisting it wasn’t a U-turn as principal opposition BJP had claimed, and was only to facilitate a detailed discussion on the proposal in the legislature.He said it was also to respect public sentiment and accused BJP of opposing major infrastructure projects in Bengaluru.“There is no question of an U-turn,” Shivakumar said. “The bill was withdrawn only to facilitate a detailed discussion in the House.”He said the aim of the bill was to transfer land for the Namma Metro project, and the govt has no intention of taking over Lalbagh land for the proposed 16.5km tunnel road project. “We are not selling parks,” he said, adding that alternative routes would be examined for the tunnel project.He questioned BJP’s opposition to tunnel roads and double-decker corridors, saying such projects were essential to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion. “If they do not want tunnel roads, let them suggest an alternative,” he said.He said BJP had also opposed the steel bridge proposed during the previous Congress govt and challenged the party to name major infrastructure projects it had initiated during its tenure. “If Bengaluru has a curse, it is BJP,” he said.He hit back at BJP functionaries criticising the govt and urged them to exercise restraint in their statements. “I cannot use the kind of language used by BY Vijayendra, Union minister HD Kumaraswamy and opposition leader R Ashoka while sitting in the CM’s chair,” he said. “Even if they do not respect me, they should at least respect the position given to me by the people and party.”On the issue of extending sanction to prosecute B Nagendra, who was forced to quit as planning and statistics minister, Kumaraswamyand BJP’s Gali Janardhan Reddy and MP Renukacharya for various alleged irregularities, he said the govt had not yet taken any decision on the issue. He said files relating to Nagendra, Reddy, Renukacharya and others had only now been received from the governor.“The files have not yet been legally examined,” he said. “We must verify whether the summaries are correct and whether the same procedure has been followed in each case. No hasty decision will be taken.”
