Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, April 17: Karnataka Congress on Thursday staged protest demonstrations against the Central government over the alleged price hikes, aiming to counter the BJP’s Janakrosh Yatra, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declaring that “lies are the BJP’s household gods.”
The BJP has launched a state-wide Janakrosh Yatra criticising the Congress government in the state over price hikes and Muslim quota issues.
The Congress protest was held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, where thousands of party workers gathered, shouting slogans against the Central government and the BJP. Garlanded LPG cylinders were displayed in front of the stage, along with a comparison chart showing the prices of essential commodities during the UPA era and the current BJP regime.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state president D K Shivakumar, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, cabinet ministers, and party MLAs were present. All leaders wore black bands and held placards criticising the Centre.
Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah stated: “Politics is not just about holding power. Standing with the people and fighting continuously with ideological clarity is true political commitment. Lies are the BJP’s household gods. RSS is the grand factory of lies.”
He further added that Dr B R Ambedkar had written that it was Veer Savarkar and Dhangey who defeated him, not the Congress.
“Yet, the BJP spreads the false narrative that Congress was responsible. We must develop the courage to speak the truth across the country in response to the lies of the RSS, the factory of falsehoods,” he said.
The chief minister went on to accuse the Narendra Modi-led government of peddling false propaganda, suggesting that Karnataka’s finances were in crisis to cover up its own anti-poor and anti-middle-class policies.
“If the government were bankrupt, would it be possible to allocate Rs 56,000 crore annually for guarantees? We’ve increased the milk price by Rs 4, and that money goes directly to the farmers, not to the government. But the Central government has increased gas prices multiple times, and again by Rs 50 recently. Tell us, who is getting this extra money?” he asked.
Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil alleged that since the BJP came to power at the Centre, common people’s lives have been adversely affected.
“They have hiked the prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG. That is why this protest is organised. There is no logic in hiking fuel prices at a time when the rates are low in the international market,” he stated.
Siddaramaiah’s legal advisor and MLA A S Ponnanna remarked that the BJP is known for its branding tactics.
“Janakrosh is against the BJP, not against the ruling Congress party. The entire protest is against themselves,” he claimed.
He added that public anger is directed at the BJP and the Central government, not the Karnataka government.