Road blockade in Karnataka: BJP calls statewide protest on Sept 24 over poor road conditions

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stage 'rasta roko' (Road blockade) on September 24, in all 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka, protesting against the condition of the roads across the state, party President B Y Vijayendra announced on Sunday.

B Y Vijayendra said that people’s anger over potholes and broken roads has reached a peak. According to him, citizens are fed up with the city’s deteriorating infrastructure, and the protest is meant to give voice to this frustration.

“On September 24, our party workers will hold demonstrations in Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, and across the state. This is to highlight the suffering caused by pothole-ridden roads,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led government is already under fire from the public for the worsening condition of roads, especially in Bengaluru.

Many roads are filled with potholes, making commuting dangerous and time-consuming. Responding to widespread criticism, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently instructed officials to fix and restore damaged roads within a one-month deadline.

The demand for better roads is not just coming from ordinary citizens but also from the business community. Prominent industry leaders like TV Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson of Biocon, have openly urged the state government to take urgent steps. They warn that Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s tech capital could suffer if basic infrastructure continues to be neglected.

Online trucking platform BlackBuck decided to move the company out of its current location at Bellandur on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR), citing commuting and road infrastructure issues.