Steel flyover scrapped- people's victory or political gameplan?
The
Karnataka
government
decided
to
scrap
its
ambitious
yet
contentious
steel
flyover
project
in
Hebbal.
While
citizens
claimed
it
a
victory
for
people's
movement,
there
is
more
to
it
than
what
meets
the
eye.
The
BJP
was
quick
to
announce
that
the
Rs
1800
crore
project
was
scrapped
after
a
diary
containing
details
of
kick
back
semerged.
The
Congress,
however,
claimed
that
the
project
was
scrappeddue
to
public
opposition
but
made
it
very
clear
that
BJP
was
stalling
development
projects
in
Bengaluru.
The
decision
to
scrap
the
steel
bridge
project
was
taken
during
an
MLAs
meet
in
Bengaluru.
Congress
working
President
Dinesh
Gundu
Rao
suggested
that
the
project
be
dropped
instead
of
allowing
it
to
be
a
momunent
of
Congress' corruption.
He
accused
the
BJP
of
not
taking
a
clear
stand
on
the
project
but
using
it
to
level
corruption
charges
against
them.
The
Congress
hopes
to
make
the
steel
flyover
a
poll
agenda
in
North
Bengaluru
constituencies.
The
government
was
adamant
on
going
ahead
with
the
project
due
to
bottlenecks
and
heavy
traffic
snarls
enroute
the
Airport.
The
six-lane
bridge
was
aimed
at
bringing
relief
to
residents
who
had
time
and
again
requested
for
de-congestion.
So
much
so
that
while
one
group
of
citizens
rallied
against
the
flyover,
another
rallied
for
it
in
what
came
to
be
known
as
the
'Beku
v/s
beda'
fight.
The
Congress
hopes
to
bank
on
the
'Bedu
brigade'
to
dent
the
BJP's
performance
in
constituencies
of
North
Bengaluru
in
the
upcoming
assembly
polls.
The
BJP
on
the
otherhand
demanded
that
a
CBI
query
be
ordered
into
the
diary
expose
that
'ultimately
forced
Congress
to
drop
the
project'.
"Citizens
have
been
protesting
from
months
together
but
congress
decided
to
drop
the
project
only
after
a
diary
alleging
kickbacks
came
to
light.
They
are
withdrawing
the
project
since
they
fear
that
they
will
be
exposed
further.
The
chief
minister
is
directly
involved
and
hence
a
CBI
investigation
is
needed," B
S
Yeddyurappa
said
addressing
the
media
soon
after
the
project
was
scrapped.
"I
will
hold
BJP
and
Rajeev
Chandrashekhar
responsible
for
not
allowing
developmental
activities
in
Bengaluru,"
K
J
George
had
said
while
announcing
the
'painful' decision
to
scrap
the
steel
bridge
project.
He
cited
'People's
opposition
and
baseless
allegations'
as
reasons
for
cancelling
the
project.
Till
last
month,
the
Congress
had
defended
the
project
even
willing
to
fight
a
legal
battle
for
it.
They
had
even
stated
that
the
project
was
approved
during
the
previous
BJP
government
and
that
the
Congress
was
merely
implementing
it.
Things
took
a
turn
after
a
diary
allegedly
belonging
to
a
Congress
MLA
and
containing
details
of
kickbacks
received
surfaced,
says
the
BJP.
By
scrapping
the
steel
bridge
project
the
Congress
has
taken
away
a
key
agenda
of
the
BJP
to
show
Congress
in
a
bad
light.
This,
however,
will
not
change
the
fact
that
the
diary
is
going
to
feature
prominently
in
all
rallies
of
the
BJP.
The
BJP,
just
like
now,
hopes
to
portray
the
cancellation
of
the
project
as
a
defense
mechanisms
of
a
'shaken
Congress'
while
the
Congress
hopes
to
turn
it
against
the
BJP,
accusing
it
of
hindering
development
of
Bengaluru.
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