Oh Boy! The Yellow Line Is Now A Red Hot Political Battleground

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4 days ago

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The battle royale between Congress and BJP began with Surya pushing for the long-delayed Yellow Line of Namma Metro when he raised the issue in Parliament — twice.
Oh boy, here we go again. Bengaluru's metro — or more specifically, the Yellow Line — has become the newest arena for a not-so-subtle political wrestling match. On one side is BJP's Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, sprinting ahead with announcements, social media posts, and seeking fast-track governance in delivering citizen facilities. On the other, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister and Congress strongman DK Shivakumar, who thinks Surya is, quite literally, 'a boy in a hurry."
Now tracks, trains, and test runs are being overshadowed by barbs, blame games, and a whole lot of grandstanding.
The battle royale between the Congress and the BJP began with Surya pushing for the long-delayed Yellow Line of Namma Metro. He raised the issue in Parliament — twice — calling it the 'need of the hour."
Surya went ahead and declared that none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate the 19.2-km metro line that connects RV Road to Bommasandra.
PM Modi will land in Bengaluru on August 10 and will flag off the long-awaited Yellow line along with a net set of Vande bharat trains.
'This is a Rs 7,610 crore project. So far, only three trains have arrived. One more is expected by the 10th. It will take 10–15 more days to become fully operational. Our MP is still young, a boy, and he wanted operations to start urgently. But we can't rush things like that," he told the media.
DK Shivakumar clarified that it was the Congress government which had invited the Prime Minister for the inauguration — so there was no need for credit snatching.
'The 19.5-km Yellow Line received its safety certification only on July 31. The Prime Minister has been invited to inaugurate it on August 10 by the Siddaramaiah government," he said.
He confirmed, 'The Prime Minister has confirmed his participation in the inauguration of the Yellow Line. We are making necessary preparations and conducting inspections accordingly."
Surya wasn't about to let that slide. He said, 'This is not the era of slow-motion politics. This is the era of fast-track governance."
He posted his response to Shivakumar on X saying: 'I am in a hurry because I believe Bengaluru deserves better. Because I believe public projects must be delivered with speed, accountability, and integrity. Because I believe in politics of performance — not tokenism and photo-ops."
But Shivakumar wasn't done. He doubled down, saying the delay wasn't political — it was technical.
'It's not about the wait — the issue is technical. As a matter of duty, I must ensure that we get all the inspection and clearances done. Some MPs are still a bit immature and tend to speak carelessly — I can't function like that," he said.
'This requires certification from the concerned authorities, and that process is underway. The system has already been checked. Our priority now is to make sure the train runs. We need the certification to be complete for safety. We want the metro line to be launched to alleviate Bengaluru's traffic congestion. We understand, and our government is serious in addressing this issue."
But Surya took on Shivakumar's statement and sought accountability from the Congress government in Karnataka. He also did not mince words replying to being called a 'boy" and slammed what he sees as the Congress's chronic delay in delivering public infrastructure.
'Yes, I am in a hurry. Because I don't believe that public infrastructure should take decades to complete. Because I refuse to accept 8.5 years for a 2 km flyover. Because I represent a generation of Indians who want change now — not in some indefinite future.
Congress Party represents the politics of delay. He comes from a party where Indira Gandhi would lay the foundation stone, and Sonia Gandhi would inaugurate it decades later. I represent a New India under Modi where our Govt starts work on the project and also inaugurates it."
Surya also posted: 'I'm in a hurry because my city is choking. Because commuters waste hours stuck in traffic, where ordinary citizens — not ministers — bear the brunt of broken deadlines and bureaucratic apathy.
Instead of making personal jibes about my age, let the Deputy CM list a single concrete intervention he made to expedite the Yellow Line.
Where was he when the project was stuck in land acquisition?
Where was he when we were fighting for a full-time BMRCL MD?
Where was he when we had to coordinate across ministries and manufacturers to ensure timely delivery of rolling stock?
Where was he when we pushed for visas for foreign engineers to prevent further delay?
Where was he when I led a citizens' march demanding a firm and final date for inauguration?
He turned up three days before the PM's visit to orchestrate a media circus — but where was he for the last five years?"
Surya had earlier raised the issue of the delay in launching the Yellow Line during Zero Hour in Parliament. Calling Bengaluru India's economic engine, he said that it was one of the most important cities today — and also for India's growth in the future.
'However, the city is suffering from a big infrastructure deficit. The only way that the traffic congestion in the city can be addressed is through expedited metro construction."
It is learnt that the PM's Bengaluru visit will be limited to the Yellow Line inauguration and the launch of new Vande Bharat train services.
And while the leaders spar over credit, the pressure continues on the officials. A BMRCL official said:
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'Right now, we have only three trains, and more are expected. The frequency will increase and the travel time will reduce once we get another train set. Another train set is expected soon after the PM's visit," said a BMRCL official.
So, a metro line that was supposed to reduce traffic is now fuelling political gridlock. And as always, it's the common man or the commuter who's left stuck in the middle — in traffic or, in this case, between political one upmanship.
About the Author
Rohini Swamy
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18's digital platform. She has previously worked with t...Read More
tags :
DK Shivakumar Namma Metro southern slice tejasvi surya yellow line
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Location :
Bengaluru, India, India
First Published:
August 08, 2025, 11:42 IST
News opinion Southern Slice | Oh Boy! The Yellow Line Is Now A Red Hot Political Battleground
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