BJP Slams Karnataka Government Over Rising Milk Prices And Bus Fares

BJP leaders protested in Kalaburagi against the Karnataka government's decision to hike milk, curd, and bus fares, alleging the administration is burdening citizens to fund guarantee schemes ahead of local elections.

BJP Protests Price Hikes in Kalaburagi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and leaders staged a protest at the Central Bus Stand in Kalaburagi against the Karnataka government over the hike in milk and curd prices and the increase in bus fares, accusing the Congress government of burdening the public.

Criticism of Government Policies

Addressing the protest, BJP MLA B P Harish criticised the state government over the price hikes and alleged that it was releasing funds under its guarantee schemes in instalments ahead of the upcoming Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections. "See, yesterday they had hiked Rs 12 for milk and Rs 14 for curds, and bus fare has also been hiked by 30 per cent. They are going to face Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections. That's why they are releasing the guarantee amount for three months at a time. This government is taking people's money in one pocket and giving it through another pocket. This is not nice," he said.

Questioning Governance Capacity

Targeting the Congress government over its repeated demands for assistance from the Centre, Harish questioned its ability to govern the state independently. "If the Congress government always demands from the Central government, why are they running the Karnataka State Government? Always, for everything, they are asking the Central government. They are showing the Central government. That's not nice. In your own capacity, you have to rule the government. For everything, there is no question of asking the Central government," he said.

Harish further alleged that the state government had failed to govern effectively and claimed that internal differences within the Congress were affecting its functioning. "Totally, the DK Shivakumar government has failed. There are a number of party clashes inside, about the Siddaramaiah case, everything. Totally, Karnataka people are desperate with this Congress government," he said.

Referring to the local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP MLA claimed that the Congress had failed to win any seats in the elections conducted through ballot papers. He said the NDA had secured more than 1,700 seats, while the YSR party had won 300 seats. He further claimed that the use of ballot papers would not improve the Congress's electoral prospects, attributing its performance to what he described as poor governance.

Social Media and Public Reaction

Meanwhile, the BJP's Karnataka unit, in a post on X, took a swipe at the state government over the price increases, writing, "Bring the milk, Thimma—but the price of milk has gone up! Board the bus, Thimma—but the bus fare has gone up! This, right here, is Thimma's reality."

Impact of Fare Revisions

The protest comes amid opposition criticism of the Karnataka government's decisions on public transport fares and milk and curd prices. On the pretext that transport corporations are running at a loss, the state government had increased the bus fare of the three state transport corporations (KSRTC, NWKRTC, KKRTC) by 23 per cent and BMTC by 35 per cent, the statement said.

Under the revised fare structure, passengers travelling on ordinary services will see increases on several routes connecting Bengaluru with nearby towns. The fare from Bengaluru to Nelamangala and Hoskote will rise from Rs 35 to Rs 44, while journeys to Doddaballapura and Anekal will cost Rs 47 instead of Rs 38. The trade union centre pointed out that just a few days ago, the government had increased the price of milk by Rs 4 per litre and curd by Rs 14 per litre, imposing a huge financial burden on the people, and now it has drawn another line of price hikes. (ANI)

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