Deputy CM DK Shivakumar slams BJP for price rise, announces statewide protest on April 17

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that a protest has been planned on April 17 under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against the price rise by the BJP government at the Centre and against the double standards of the BJP on the issue of price rise.

Addressing a press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office, he said, “The protest will be organised at all district headquarters and at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru. The protest at the Freedom Park would be led by CM Siddaramaiah. AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala will also participate in the protests. We will disclose the nature of protests at the district levels soon”.

He further said, “Do R Ashoka and Vijayendra see price rise of only milk? Don’t they see the price rise effected by the Centre. Their ‘Janakrosha yaatre’ is actually a protest against their own BJP government at the Centre.”

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He said, “The Centre has given a gift to the state unit of the BJP by increasing the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG on the day they are taking out a protest in the state on price rise. The BJP should put up a board that it is a protest against the price rise by the Centre.”

“The price of crude oil has fallen by 4.23% on Wednesday and the base price of petrol is currently at Rs 42.60 per litre but the Centre has priced it at Rs 103 per litre. The diesel prices are at Rs 91. There is a tax of about 60% on fuel,” deputy CM added.

“Our government has increased the price of milk to improve the lives of our farmers. The price of milk in Karnataka is still the lowest in the country. It is Rs 52 in Kerala, Rs 53 in Gujarat, Rs 55 in Delhi, Rs 52 in Maharashtra, Rs 58 in Telangana, Rs 60 in Assam, Rs 56 in Haryana, Rs 50 in Rajasthan, Rs 52 in Madhya Pradesh, Rs 56 in Punjab and Rs 56 in Uttar Pradesh,” he explained.

He added, “The water tariff hike is very nominal. The garbage collection cess is lower than the rates fixed by the previous BJP government. We have taken into account the burden of price rise on the poor people. In fact, we have ear-marked Rs 52,000 crores for the guarantee schemes which is meant to ease the burden of price rise on the common people.”

The Deputy CM said, “The price of gold during the UPA government was Rs 28,000 for 10 grams and today it is Rs 92,000. The mobile phones which were around Rs 10,000 are around Rs 30,000 today. The dollar which was Rs 59 is today Rs 89. All these are controlled by the Centre. The price of tractor which was available for Rs 1.5 lakh is about Rs 5 lakh today. Who controls the prices of all these?”

He added, “The Rs 80 toll on roads has become Rs 250. Doesn’t Ashok see all this? We are anti-farmer if we increase price of milk, but they are looting the people with so many charges in banks such as deposit fees, withdrawal fees, cheque book fees, etc. It has become a big scam as Mallikarjun Kharge was saying. The state BJP leaders must continue their protest. Why is that no one is talking about the loss due to the US tariff. The stock markets are tanking and yet no one is talking about it.” (ANI)