Even as other BJP Leaders in Pune are trying their best to tame the opposition from the citizen activists in the city to the Bal Bharati Paud Phata Link Road (BBPL), former BJP MLA from Kothrud and National Vice President of BJP's Mahila Morcha Doctor Medha Kulkarni has extended her support to the activists protesting against the project.
Taking to Twitter Kulkarni informed about her April 3 meeting with the Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar on the BBPL Road matter and wrote, "Behind the sensational headlines and claims of infighting (in party), my position is pro-citizen without compromising on holistic development I merely tried to listen to their (activists) data-backed arguments with an open mind, and was convinced of their position."
Kulkarni met the commissioner with the activists of Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti.
"Official reports are full of loopholes"
She further added, "The independent reports I saw are pretty clear that the proposed road lays a claim on Tekdi resources at a return value of next to nothing On the other hand, the official reports are full of loopholes."
Calling herself a nature lover, Kulkarni said that the proposed road comes at not only a heavy environmental and monetary cost, but it also doesn't seem to solve the very problem it's set out to solve. "The citizens are right in rather demanding more from the Metro project that will lead to a faster, more efficient public transport," she added.
Recently, in a bid to tame the opposition by residents, BJP's Shivaji Nagar MLA Siddharth Shirole, former mayor Murlidhar Mohol along with senior PMC officials joined the walk on the route with residents.
Vetal Tekdi and BBPP Link Road Project
The environmental activists in the city have been opposing this project since it was first proposed in 1987. The "Vetal Tekadi Bachao Kruti Samiti (Save Vetal Tekdi Task Force)" has organised a protest on April 15 at Vetal Baba Chwok on Senapati Bapat Road in Pune.
The 2.1-kilometre road will traverse the foothills of Vetal Tekdi. For the uninitiated, Vetal Tekdi is a prominent hill in the city limits of Pune. The administration has maintained that the proposed road will decrease traffic pressure in Nal Stop Chowk.
At present, passengers travelling from Senapati Bapat Road towards Paud Road have to use Law college road, which often witnesses traffic congestion during peak hours.
Medha Kulkarni was dropped in 2019 polls
It should be noted that in the 2019 assembly election, then Maharashtra BJP chief Patil was given the ticket from Kothrud after the party dropped sitting MLA Medha Kulkarni.
The Kothrud suburb, considered as a preferred second home destination for many living in the heart of the city, has nearly four lakh voters.
In the 2014 state polls, BJP's Medha Kulkarni defeated Shiv Sena's Chandrakant Mokate by over 64,000 votes, while Kishore Shinde stood in the fourth position.
