‘Protest against Modi government’: Excise minister slams BJP over protests in state

BENGALURU: Excise minister R B Timmapur attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its protest against the state government. Timmapur alleged that the BJP-led central government is increasing prices of all commodities, including transport and vegetables, which will badly affect farmers.

“If the BJP leaders, who are protesting against the state government, have guts and concerns about the people, they must protest against the Modi government. The Modi government is increasing prices of all commodities including transport and vegetables, which will affect the farmers very badly…”, he said on Monday.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On BJP protest in the state, Karnataka Minister Ramappa Timmapur says, “If the BJP leaders, who are protesting against the state government, have guts and concerns about the people, they must protest against the Modi government. The Modi government is… pic.twitter.com/13JplkyzRK

— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2025

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra, along with other party leaders, held a protest march in Mysuru.

Meanwhile, minister Priyank Kharge slammed the Union Government over the Waqf (Amendment) Act and termed it as “unconstitutional”. He linked the timing of the bill’s passage to economic issues involving the United States, specifically tariffs announced by former US President Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Priyank Kharge said, “What the central government has done is very clear. They ran the Lok Sabha till 2:30 am and the Rajya Sabha till 1:30 am to ensure that the Waqf Bill was passed. Look at the timing. At that very time, his friend Donald Trump introduced 26 per cent tariffs for India.”

He alleged that the Union government used the bill as a political cover-up. “To cover up the economic follies of his friend, he brought the Waqf Bill. It’s completely unconstitutional, and we will challenge it in the court,” Priyank Kharge added.

While Priyank Kharge criticised the Union Government over the Waqf Act, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that Congress and their allies spread misinformation about the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, Joshi said that the Waqf Board has a huge land but generates “negligible” revenue. “The President has given her assent and shortly, we will gazette it; notification will come out and it will become a law of the country… Subsequently, there will be a formation of rules, and subordinate legislation will look into it,” Joshi said. (ANI)