Thousands Protest Karnataka Bill Allowing Park Land Diversion

Thousands of citizens, environmental activists, and political leaders gathered at Lalbagh Botanical Garden on August 30 and 31, 2026, to protest the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The legislation allows the state to divert or lease up to 5% of protected park land for public utility and infrastructure projects.

Shobha Karandlaje and other BJP leaders led the demonstrations, specifically opposing a proposed 17-km tunnel road connecting Hebbal and Central Silk Board. Protesters fear the project could require up to six acres of Lalbagh land, threatening the park's biodiversity and its three-billion-year-old Peninsular Gneiss rock. Participants demanded the bill's withdrawal and the designation of Lalbagh as a Construction Free Zone.

While the Government of Karnataka maintains the bill includes safeguards and a high-level evaluation mechanism for essential projects, opposition parties including the BJP and JD(S) claim the law treats green spaces as real estate opportunities. Opposition leaders petitioned Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to withhold his assent to the legislation. Karandlaje stated that the Governor has already returned the bill and warned that opponents are prepared to take the matter to the President if the government reintroduces it.