Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 5: Amid growing protests by the BJP over recent price hikes in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday lashed out at the opposition party, calling them the “pitamah (forefathers) of price rise.”
Slamming the BJP for their criticism of the Congress government, Shivakumar defended the recent milk price hike, saying,
“They (BJP) are the ‘pitamah’ of price rise. We hiked the price of milk, and it will benefit the farmers.”
Meanwhile, addressing the broader governance issues, Shivakumar also spoke about his visit to Delhi, where he held talks with Union Ministers on pressing inter-state water disputes.
“We met the irrigation and civil aviation ministers. They have agreed to call a meeting involving Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka regarding the Krishna river water issue,” he said.
On the Cauvery water dispute, he added, “We know Tamil Nadu will not cooperate. Only the court can help now.”
The BJP has intensified its attack on the Congress government over fuel price hikes, increased garbage cess, and other public levies. On April 3, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka accused the Congress regime of “exploiting the public” through its economic policies.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is stealing through taxes, and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar is stealing through commissions,” Ashoka alleged.
He also made a sharp analogy to criticize the state government’s fee hike for essential documents:
“There is a tradition of placing money on a corpse after death. The Congress government has increased fees even for death certificates to collect money.”
Senior BJP leaders, including CT Ravi, joined in the protest demonstrations held in Bengaluru, vowing to continue opposing what they termed “anti-people” financial policies of the Congress-led state government.
As both parties ramp up rhetoric ahead of the upcoming political season, issues of price rise, water disputes, and public service taxes appear to be at the centre of Karnataka’s political battlefield.