Union Minister Pralhad Joshi slams Congress govt in Karnataka, calls it ‘garbage for nation’

NEW DELHIL: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday criticized the Congress government in Karnataka over its decision to impose a garbage collection fee in Bengaluru from April 1.

Speaking to media reporters, Joshi said, “The Karnataka government has become garbage for the nation. The state government has gone pauper, bankrupt. Today, there is so much inflation in Karnataka, and now this ‘garbage tax’. I condemn it.”

#WATCH | Delhi | Over Bengaluru garbage collection fee, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, “The Karnataka government has become garbage for the nation. The state government has gone pauper, bankrupt. Today, there is so much inflation in Karnataka, and now this ‘Garbage tax’. I… pic.twitter.com/3FiGyRPMnf

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

BJP MP Dr K Sudhakar slammed the Karnataka Congress government over the “garbage cess” and accused it of seeking ways to tax the common people.

Earlier today, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy expressed outrage over the implementation of garbage cess in Bengaluru by the Congress-led Karnataka government, stating that the “price hike demon” government in Karnataka is draining the blood of the people like leeches.

In a press statement, he said, “From today, the Congress government is imposing a cess even on garbage! It is draining the blood of the people!”

Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra launched a blistering attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government over the issue of price hike, saying that the government is taxing everything as if it ran out of money to fulfil the guarantees they had promised.

#WATCH | Tumakuru | Karnataka BJP chief and MLA BY Vijayendra says,” On 2nd April, all our MLAs and MLCs will be protesting against price hike at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. From 7th April onwards, all our MLAs, MPs, and Central ministers will conduct the ‘Jana Akrosh Yatra’ from… pic.twitter.com/EdPuXIaOQG

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

Speaking to reporters, the BJP leader said, “They are taxing on everything as they’re failing to fulfill the amount for guarantees. State government gives in the name of guarantee in one hand and in other all ways its looting the people, we are protesting against it”. The Karnataka BJP is staging a series of protests against the Congress government in Karnataka over the price rise.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has implemented a “garbage cess” under which the residents of Bengaluru will have to pay a solid waste management user fee effective from April 1.

After hike in the rate of milk, electricity, BBMP has now decided to enforce a new tax. The BBMP has decided to raise the cost of garbage and disposal every month and a “garbage cess” is being implemented in Bangalore starting from today.

The Solid Waste Management Ltd will now make a cess on trash every month. Different types of tax are being levied for shops, hotels, and residential buildings. (ANI)