With polls approaching, BJP finds itself cornered over proposed road
Ujwal Keskar, a senior BJP member, disagreed, saying the new route is necessary to alleviate traffic congestion on the law college road
Pune
Even though most political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv Sena, initially supported the proposed Balbharati-Paud Road link road (BBPP road) when the Development Plan was approved, all opposition parties have now joined forces to corner the BJP on the issue.
Members of the NCP, Congress, Shiv Sena’s (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were present at Saturday’s demonstration staged by Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti.
At the same time, BJP leader and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Kothrud Medha Kulkarni and her party colleague and former corporator Jayant Bhave were also present during the march.
Vandana Chavan, Member of Rajya Sabha and senior NCP leader said, “Our party has taken a stance to protest the proposed road. We will pursue the matter further and meet Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to scrap the road as it is damaging to the environment.”
Arvind Shinde, Congress city unit chief said, “As per a survey conducted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), only 35,000 vehicles are passing on Law College Road daily. It is not acceptable to destroy Vetal Tekdi for only 35,000 vehicles. So, we are against this kind of development. When the proposed BBPP road was included in the DP, there was a BJP government in the state and the government approved the DP. It was not discussed and passed in the general body meeting.”
“While no general body exists with the Municipal Corporation governed by an administrator, how can one person take decisions on the behalf of common Pune citizens, “ he said.
Vijay Kumbhar, AAP State organiser and Pune city working president said, “Building new roads is not the solution to solving traffic problems. New and wide roads never solve traffic problems, and it is a proven fact at the international level. So, we are against the BBPP road. As we build new roads, it will encourage people to buy more vehicles. It is not a permanent solution. Improving public transport is the key solution to solving traffic congestion and to minimising pollution and balancing nature. I have been living in Pune for the last 35 years; I realised that not a single wide road in the city could solve the traffic problem.”
Ujwal Keskar, a senior BJP member, disagreed, saying the new route is necessary to alleviate traffic congestion on the law college road.
“According to a PMC survey, 68,000 vehicles pass on the present law college road. It contributes significantly to pollution and traffic congestion. The proposed route will address both the issue and the pollution. The PMC administration will take all steps necessary to rescue Vetal Tekdi. When the proposed road was discussed in the DP, all political parties supported it. In 2017, all parties publicly supported the road as part of the social media campaign “Vinakaran Rajkaran” (Politics without Reason) against environmentalists who were opposed to the project.”
Keskar claimed political figures from the NCP and Congress who took part in Saturday’s campaign had previously expressed their support in 2017.
“Now, it has become a political agenda of all opposition party leaders who want to corner the BJP in the upcoming civic elections,” Keskar explained.
