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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's statement that even God can't fix Bengaluru traffic in the next two or three years, has come under severe criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party, with leader of opposition R Ashoka on Friday demanding that the former step down and make way for someone more capable if he is unable to take responsibility and address the city's traffic issues.
Shivakumar is also Minister in-charge of Bengaluru Development.
Speaking at an event on Thursday Shivakumar said, "I want to tell the media friends and others, even if God himself comes down from above, he cannot do anything (to fix) Bengaluru within the next one year, two year, or three year. Such is the difficulty. We have to plan properly, implement the projects properly, and we are making efforts to give a proper outline for the days ahead."
Reacting to this, Ashoka on Friday said 'Brand Bengaluru' turns out to be another 'bland statement' of Congress government in the state.
"Leaders in public life must demonstrate a sense of responsibility unlike the Deputy CM Shivakumar, who only treats Bengaluru as a cash cow to fund his personal ambitions. If DCM DK Shivakumar can't take the responsibility of fixing Bengaluru's civic issues, he must step down and make way for someone capable," the BJP leader said in a post on 'X'.
After admitting that there was no money for development work under the Congress government, Shivakumar has now claimed that even if God came down Bengaluru could not be transformed in the next 2-3 years, Ashoka said and called the former a 'part-time Bengaluru Development Minister'.
"Neither do people have any expectations from you nor your government, Shivakumar. Congress government is a curse to Karnataka and Bengaluru and people are eagerly waiting to throw away this hopeless Congress government," he added.
BJP state chief B Y Vijayendra said, Shivakumar and the Congress which came to power promising to make Bengaluru like Singapore and to develop the state, are now making such statements.
Alleging that the Congress government is incapable of filling potholes in Bengaluru, he said they are now talking about tunnel roads.
"No development work is happening in Bengaluru, legislators are not getting funds for development works, but they (Congress govt) talk about development. This is a tragedy for Bengaluru, which is a city recognised world over," he added.
Seeking to defend Shivakumar, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said the Deputy CM was trying to suggest that there cannot be a short term measure to fix Bengaluru's issues, and it will take a little longer time with alternatives being planned and implemented.
"Everybody knows that Bengaluru lacks infrastructure. Bengaluru was not built for this kind of population and this kind of vehicles. The population is approximately 1.4 crore and there are almost an equal number of vehicles running on the streets, but we don't have the infrastructure for that," Parameshwara, who had earlier served as the Minister in-charge for Bengaluru's development said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, 'unless we build new infrastructure, spread out Bengaluru, traffic is going to be the biggest challenge for us. It has always been'.
Noting that the government is planning and the Minister in-charge Shivakumar is also looking at many alternatives, Parameshwara said, "One of the alternatives is going underground, in fact we have already stated that. All these measures -- somewhere we have to build a flyover, somewhere we have to build an underpass, somewhere we have to go underground roads, all these kinds of things of course will take time, money and everything."
"What Shivakumar has said is, it cannot be within two years or three years. It cannot be a short term measure, it will take a little longer time. That is what I think he has mentioned," he added.