The Hindu

Mangalore, Aug 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday alleged that the Left parties and the Congress were trying to sully its image by making the subject of water tariff an issue.

Addressing presspersons here K. Monappa Bhandary, president of the Dakshina Kannada unit of the BJP, said that the Mangalore City Corporation had increased the water tariff in September, 2007 under the Governor’s rule, when it was being headed by an administrator.

“Why did the CPI (M), DYFI and the Congress not oppose the increase then”, he asked.

The elected council of the corporation, led by the BJP in its June 16 meeting, resolved to reduce the tariff for domestic consumption. The decision was ratified by the council on July 19. The Mayor announced that the reduced tariff would be effective from July 1, he said.

Referring to the dharna staged by the DYFI members in front of the corporation office on Monday last and subsequent incidents, he wanted to know what prompted the Left party activists to stage dharna after the water tariff for domestic consumption had been reduced.