Bengaluru, Feb 14 (IANS): The Janata Dal (Secular) held a massive protest at Freedom Park on Friday, demanding an immediate rollback of the metro fare hike.

Party leaders and workers, led by JD(S) Bengaluru unit president H.M. Ramesh Gowda, raised slogans against the metro administration and warned of intensified agitation if the fare hike was not reversed.

Legislative Council members K.A. Tippeswamy, T. A. Sharavana, and several senior leaders participated in the protest, urging the government to reconsider its decision.

Speaking to the media, Ramesh Gowda said: "The metro does not run on diesel or petrol - it runs on electricity. The government has already increased electricity prices."

"Due to the high costs, more than 1.5 lakh passengers have already abandoned metro travel. This project was originally introduced to reduce Bengaluru's traffic congestion, but it has lost its true purpose," he alleged.

"JD(S) had submitted two requests to the managing director of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to withdraw the fare hike. However, their appeals were ignored, disregarding public sentiment.

"If the fare hike is not rolled back immediately, we will lay siege to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's residence," he warned.

He further alleged that the state government is facing financial distress due to its excessive freebie schemes, leaving no funds for development projects.

"The state treasury is empty, and government-issued cheques are bouncing. This shows the dire financial state of the government. To cover up this embarrassment and mobilise resources, they are continuously burdening the people with new taxes and price hikes," he claimed.

Ramesh Gowda accused the government of imposing an additional Rs 41,360 crore in taxes since coming to power.

"Hikes in electricity tariffs, fuel prices, stamp duty, guidance value, and bus fares have placed an unbearable financial burden on the people. The government is looting from one side while giving away on the other," he said.

"The people of Karnataka trusted Congress with a clear mandate, hoping for good governance. But this government has only exploited them in multiple ways. If the metro fare hike is not withdrawn soon, the public itself will rise in protest," he warned.

He further stated that the people are suffering due to Congress' poor policies and predicted that the ruling party would struggle to win even 50 seats if elections were held now.