Karnataka faces pressure to lift Bandipur night ban

The Karnataka government is facing pressure to lift the night traffic ban in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The ban has been in place for over ten years to protect wildlife. A senior official in the forest department, without permission from the government, attempted to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court regarding the ban. During an emergency meeting on March 23, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre addressed the issue. He warned officials against taking independent actions. The Minister has previously requested a report on the pros and cons of the ban but has not yet received it. Congress leaders in Kerala are pushing to remove the ban, especially after the recent success of Priyanka Gandhi in the Wayanad constituency. Meanwhile, BJP MP Tejaswi Surya criticized the Congress government for bowing to outside pressure. He claimed the government is endangering Karnataka’s forests and wildlife for political reasons. Surya referenced a Supreme Court directive from 2019 that mandated the continuation of the ban. He argued that the ban is essential for the protection of the Bandipur National Park and that any changes should not be made without proper government discussion.