Bengaluru, Nov 11 (IANS) The BJP has launched an agitation on Wednesday against the Karnataka government over the continuous increase in prices of essential commodities, with party State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra warning that protests would be intensified across every Assembly constituency and Gram Panchayat in the state until the government rolls back the recent hikes in milk, curd and ghee prices.
The protest was staged at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru. Former chief minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member B.S. Yediyurappa, Leaders of the Opposition R. Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and other prominent state leaders took part in the protest. The leaders flashed posters and raised slogans against the Karnataka government.
Vijayendra warned Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar that the Karnataka government would have to face public anger if it failed to withdraw the recent price hikes, stating that people across Karnataka were fed up with rising prices and increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s administration.
“Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, your politics will no longer work. People of the state are fed up with price rise. There is widespread dissatisfaction among the public over the Karnataka
government’s administration. Along with the guarantee schemes, you have also given people the sixth guarantee of price rise. If the burden being imposed on the people is not withdrawn, you will have to face their anger,” Vijayendra warned.
Referring to the developments surrounding the leadership issue within the Congress, he alleged that there was confusion within the ruling party itself over the Chief Minister’s post.
He said several MLAs and ministers were also dissatisfied with the functioning of the government. With legislators allegedly not receiving adequate funds for development works in their constituencies, they were finding it difficult to answer questions raised by people, he added.
Vijayendra said the agitation launched by the BJP against price rise was not a one-day programme and would continue across every Assembly constituency in Karnataka.
He demanded that the government immediately withdraw the price hikes imposed on the people, warning that the BJP would organise protests at every Gram Panchayat level if the government failed to do so.
He said the BJP would continue its fight on behalf of the people of Karnataka, including the poor, farmers, workers and the middle class.
“There is no question of BJP workers resting until the problems faced by the people are addressed,” he asserted.
Accusing the Karnataka government of imposing an unbearable financial burden on the common people, poor, farmers and middle-class families over the past three-and-a-half years, Vijayendra, while addressing the gathering, said the party would continue its protests against what he termed the government’s sixth guarantee — price rise.
He questioned whether the state government had any concern for the people, alleging that its only achievement during three-and-a-half years of rule was increasing prices. While announcing free benefits under its guarantee schemes, the government was simultaneously increasing the prices of essential commodities and taking money out of people’s pockets, he alleged.
Vijayendra questioned whether the increase in milk, curd and ghee prices was the Karnataka government’s Deepavali gift to the people.
At a time when people were preparing to celebrate the festival, the government had increased the price of milk by Rs 8 per litre, raised curd prices and increased the price of ghee by Rs 250 per kg, imposing an additional financial burden on consumers, he said.
“We have no objection to the government extending benefits to milk producers. However, it is not right to transfer the entire burden to consumers. The government itself should bear the additional expenditure,” he said.
He recalled that during the tenure of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, the government had supported milk producers by providing incentives. The present government should follow the same model and extend assistance to farmers without burdening consumers, he said.
Vijayendra alleged that the state government had already increased taxes on petrol and diesel four times. It had also raised stamp duty, increasing the financial burden on people purchasing houses and properties.
Even charges in government hospitals had been increased, placing an additional burden on poor people seeking healthcare, he said, adding that the price rise was affecting almost every aspect of people’s daily lives.
He also pointed out that the Karnataka High Court had expressed concern over the continuous increase in prices in the state.
“Government guarantee schemes may be free, but price rise is guaranteed,” he said, alleging that the government was following a policy of offering guarantees with one hand and collecting money from people through price hikes with the other.
Referring to the drought situation, Vijayendra said the BJP had undertaken the Ballari Chalo padayatra demanding adequate compensation for farmers.
During the agitation, the BJP had demanded a special session of the legislature and compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare for affected farmers. However, the Chief Minister had announced assistance of only Rs 2,500 per family, he said.
Even the meagre compensation announced by the government had not been distributed properly, he alleged, pointing out that amounts as low as Rs 200 and Rs 300 had been credited to the bank accounts of some farmers.
He questioned the government’s concern for farmers, stating that their hard work formed the foundation of the state’s economy and food security.
Vijayendra further said the results of the four Legislative Council constituencies, where NDA candidates of the BJP and JD(S) secured support in the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies, reflected public dissatisfaction with the Karnataka government’s administration.
He said the outcome demonstrated the opinion of voters about the state government’s performance at a time when the BJP was intensifying its campaign against the ruling party.
–IANS
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