Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 10: The Karnataka Congress has announced a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on April 17 to counter the BJP’s ongoing state-wide Janakrosh Yatra.
Deputy chief minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar informed at a press meet on Wednesday that the protest will be led by chief minister Siddaramaiah. AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and other party secretaries are also expected to participate.
“All MLAs, ministers, and party workers will be called to join the protest. Further plans for district and taluk-level demonstrations will be announced shortly,” Shivakumar said.
He said the Congress protest would highlight the "real issues" facing the people, particularly the soaring prices of essential commodities under the BJP-led Union government.
“The BJP’s Janakrosh Yatra should actually be against the Centre. Since 2014, prices of diesel, petrol, cement, vehicles, televisions, and daily essentials have doubled or tripled. Inflation has made the lives of ordinary citizens miserable,” he alleged.
Defending the hike in milk prices in Karnataka, Shivakumar said the adjustment was made to support farmers, citing the steep rise in cattle feed costs. “The BJP criticizes milk price hikes, but ignores how central policies have burdened people by increasing the prices of gold, silver, water, and small vehicles,” he pointed out.
Slamming BJP leaders R Ashoka and B Y Vijayendra, Shivakumar said they were selectively targeting the state government while remaining silent on the Centre’s failures.
"On the day the BJP flagged off its Janakrosh Yatra, the Union government 'gifted' the people by hiking petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 and LPG by Rs 50. If the BJP wants to be honest, it should admit that its yatra is against the Modi government," he said.
He noted that even though global crude oil prices had dropped by 4.23 per cent recently, the Centre had not passed on the benefit to consumers.
“The base price of petrol is around Rs 42.60 per litre, but it is sold for Rs 103, meaning Rs 60 per litre goes into government taxes. Diesel too has a similar tax burden,” Shivakumar alleged.
He further defended Karnataka’s milk prices, stating they are among the lowest in the country. "While milk costs Rs 42 per litre in Karnataka, it ranges between Rs 50 to Rs 60 in states like Kerala, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Assam," he said.