MP Tejasvi Surya seeks removal of savings clause from BMLTA draft rules
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday submitted formal objections to the Draft BMLTA rules, 2025, and has sought the removal of savings clause.
Bengaluru South MP said the draft Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) rules, notified in the Karnataka Gazette on January 3, 2026, introduced a savings clause under Rule 24.
"This provision exempts previously announced large-scale infrastructure projects from requiring approval of the BMLTA, thereby potentially allowing proposals such as the Tunnel Road project to be deemed approved without institutional scrutiny," he added.
Expressing serious concern over the provision, Surya stated in a post on X: "This (Rule 24 savings clause) is nothing but a dangerous attempt by the Congress-led state government to retrospectively rubber stamp the Tunnel Road project and other works to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Developmental works are indeed essential for the progress of Bengaluru but the BMLTA rules cannot be a tool to bypass scrutiny and erase accountability," Surya said.
"These rules are also illegal since subordinate legislation cannot override the principal act. Through these rules, the Congress attempts to prematurely kill the act - the primary reason for our opposition to it," he added.
On January 3, the Urban Development Department released draft rules to govern the BMLTA, laying out detailed procedures for its composition, conduct of meetings, financial management and audit mechanisms.
Citizens have been given 30 days to submit objections and suggestions.
Emphasising the original intent behind the legislation, Surya noted that the BMLTA Act was enacted in 2022 by the BJP Government to ensure transparency, institutional oversight and structured planning in Bengaluru's urban mobility ecosystem.
He said the draft rules, particularly Rule 24, undermine the very purpose of the law and weaken an institution meant to function in the larger public interest.
Surya also urged other citizens to submit their objections in the timeframe provided by the Government of Karnataka.
"I urge fellow citizens to also submit their objections to the Secretary to Government, Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka," he added.
Meanwhile there was no immediate reaction from the Government to Surya's views.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BJP writes to EC about 'non-deployment' of central forces to avert clash
Kolkata (PTI): The BJP on Sunday wrote to the Election Commission alleging that its workers were not given security and came under attack while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Brigade Parade Ground on March 14 and sought action over the alleged non-deployment of central forces by police.
In a letter to the poll panel, BJP leader Shishir Bajoria claimed that buses carrying party workers to the rally were targeted with bricks in the Girish Park area of north Kolkata, leaving several activists injured, some of whom were hospitalised.
Trouble broke out in the area when BJP activists objected to the putting up of flexes which read 'Boycott BJP', before the house of state minister Shashi Panja and tore down the flexes. Heavy brick batting followed as both sides regrouped along Central Avenue, and the window panes on the ground-floor room of Panja's residence were damaged in stone pelting.
The minister claimed she and several of her party members were injured in the brickbatting by rally-bound BJP supporters.
In the letter, the BJP alleged that despite a substantial deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) ahead of the elections, the forces were not present at the site of the disturbance to ensure the safety of its workers and leaders.
ALSO READ: HN Valley Project water purification: Chikkaballapur bandh receives moderate response
Putting the onus on TMC for the violence, the letter said, "A large number of buses bringing BJP 'karyakartas' to attend the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Brigade Parade Ground were subjected to large-scale brick-batting and violence, resulting in several BJP leaders sustaining injuries, many of whom had to be hospitalised."
Attaching purported photos and videos of the clash to back up their claims of TMC instigation, the letter said: "What was particularly of grave concern was that despite a big deployment of CAPF well before the polls, their complete absence at the spot during the disturbance, or in any part of the city of Kolkata."
"We would like to put on record that the presence of Kolkata Police at the spot of disturbance establishes the fact that they had an advance intelligence report of possible violence and yet kept the CAPF out," the BJP leader said in the letter to the CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal.
"Given the seriousness of the incident and the injuries sustained by several of our karyakarta, it raises concerns among citizens regarding the effective deployment of CAPF for preventing violence, and ensuring a free and fair electoral environment," the letter said.
"We request your good office to kindly take the strongest possible action against those who were responsible for this non-deployment of CAPF, resulting in this incident and ensure that in future deployment is carried out in a manner that truly serves its intended purpose of area domination, confidence building, and timely intervention wherever law and order situations arises from now till the elections are over," the letter said.
The BJP also reminded the commission that a party delegation had earlier met the full bench of the poll body on March 9 and raised concerns that CAPF personnel were being deployed for route marches in peaceful areas and highways instead of in locations requiring voter confidence-building measures.
At least eight persons, including a police officer, were injured in brickbatting, which broke out half an hour before the arrival of the Prime Minister at the Brigade Rally. The clash continued for about an hour as both sides fought a pitched battle on the road and nearby by-lanes before reinforcements brought the situation under control.
