Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar ignited a political firestorm on October 29, 2025, by declaring that “people hesitate to marry their daughters to men without cars” — a bizarre justification for pushing Bengaluru’s controversial tunnel road project. The remark, made in defense of private vehicle dependency, was swiftly mocked by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who branded the ₹27,000-crore plan a misguided attempt to solve a “social problem” rather than traffic chaos.

Shivakumar, responding to Surya’s plea to scrap the tunnel and prioritize mass transit, doubled down: “Can I stop people from buying cars? It’s a social obligation. People want to travel with family in their vehicles.” He challenged MPs to urge constituents to ditch cars for public transport, predicting mass noncompliance. His punchline — linking marriage prospects to car ownership — drew gasps and instant ridicule.

Surya fired back on X with biting sarcasm: “I thought the tunnel was for traffic. Turns out it’s to fix men’s marriage prospects. How stupid I was!” During their meeting, the Bengaluru South MP had presented a vision for 300 km of Metro with 3-minute frequency, enhanced BMTC buses, and private feeder services for narrow lanes — all rejected by Shivakumar, who dismissed expanding public transport as unfeasible amid “severe congestion.”

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The tunnel project, long championed by Shivakumar as a long-term fix for Bengaluru’s gridlock, faces fierce opposition for its environmental cost and unsustainability. Surya argues it will worsen pollution and entrench car culture, while Shivakumar insists infrastructure must match rising vehicle ownership — even if it means building roads to secure grooms.

As Bengaluru chokes in endless jams, the real question looms: Should taxpayer billions fund tunnels for status symbols — or a world-class transit system that works for everyone, married or not?

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