D K Shivakumar rejects BJP claim that potholes caused college student’s death

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday dismissed BJP allegations that the death of a college student in Bengaluru during a road accident was caused by potholes, calling the claims a "hoax".

The remarks come a day after 20-year-old Dhanushree, a final-year B Com student, died after being allegedly hit from behind by a tipper truck near Budigere Cross.

Reacting to the BJP’s claims, Shivakumar said, “It is all false. They are only spreading a hoax. Because of them (the saffron party), all this has been created.”

Following the incident, the BJP alleged that 60 per cent of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, has turned “into a death trap due to misrule by the Congress government.”

The party’s official Karnataka handle on ‘X’ said, “It is unfortunate that a student has lost her life because of a pothole on the roads of Silicon City. The roads of Bengaluru, which were supposed to facilitate smooth traffic, are instead endangering the lives of commuters every day. This exposes the poor performance of D K Shivakumar.”

60 ಪರ್ಸೆಂಟ್‌ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ದುರಾಡಳಿತದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಸೇರಿ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ಮೃತ್ಯುಕೂಪಗಳಾಗಿ ಮಾರ್ಪಟ್ಟಿವೆ. ಸಿಲಿಕಾನ್‌ ಸಿಟಿಯ ರಸ್ತೆ ಗುಂಡಿಗೆ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿನಿ ಬಲಿಯಾಗಿರುವುದು ದುರದೃಷ್ಟಕರ.!

ಸುಗಮ ಸಂಚಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುಕೂಲವಾಗಬೇಕಿದ್ದ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ಪ್ರತಿನಿತ್ಯ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ಪ್ರಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಚಕಾರ… pic.twitter.com/W1W9s1WbwY

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) September 30, 2025

The BJP also questioned Shivakumar on a recent deadline given to contractors to fill potholes and the utilisation of Rs 750 crore allocated for the purpose.

“What happened to the deadline you had given to officials? Whose pocket has the Rs 750 crore gone into? How many more innocent lives will your government claim?” the party said.

According to police, the accident occurred around 8.10 am when Dhanushree was riding her two-wheeler from Byappanahalli to her college in K R Puram. A senior police officer said preliminary investigations showed her vehicle was allegedly hit from behind by a tipper truck, causing her death on the spot.

While some alleged she lost control after abruptly changing direction to avoid a pothole, police said they were examining CCTV footage to ascertain the exact sequence and cause of the accident. “The accident took place on a section of the road in relatively good condition, though potholes were present nearby on the opposite side,” the officer said.

The truck driver fled the scene, and police are working to trace him.