'You are insulting youth of this country': BJP MP Tejasvi Surya to Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar

Shivakumar and Surya were in logger heads over the Congress Government plan to build tunnel road project in Bengaluru.

New Delhi: Hitting back at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over his recent comment that BJP leader Tejasvi Surya was ‘childish’ and ‘waste material’, Bengaluru South BJP Lok Sabha member on Friday said that making personal remark against him is nothing but insult to youth of Bengaluru as well as India.

“ You are calling me childish and waste material. You are making personal attack on me but not answering the issues raised by me on tunnel road project. Sir, you are being misguided by a people surrounding by you. There are several flaws in the Detailed Project Report prepared for tunnel road project. Please consult transport experts like professors in IISc or any other urban affairs experts.  All experts are opposing the project,” Surya told media persons here.

“Young people like me are future of the Bengaluru as well as the country. Don't ignore their suggestions. Youth only will build the future Bengaluru. The idea of tunnel road will be biggest disaster to the IT city,” Surya said.  

He also accused DKS of promoting an "ageist mindset". "You may have rejected my idea (about pushing Bengaluru residents to using public transport) but now you are resorting to name-calling? You asked, 'Who are you?' I am a common Bengaluru resident, a common Kannadiga. I am the  voice of the youth."

The BJP MP also claimed that  the proposed project would benefit only a small section city residents, specifically car owners, and called it 'unscientific and a waste of public resources'. Bengaluru's real need, he said, is better public transport.

Shivakumar and Surya were in logger heads over the Congress Government's plan to build tunnel road project in Bengaluru. Earlier Surya listed out a five-point solution to decongest Bengaluru, urging that the multi-crore tunnel road project be scrapped. However, the Congress leader had called Surya as “childish” and “waste material.”