New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) BJP leader Amit Malviya on Sunday lashed out at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s policies and the ruling Congress in Karnataka for burdening citizens with hefty utility bills and hiking water and sewerage charges.
In a social media post headlined “Another day, another price hike in Karnataka,” Malviya blamed the financially straining freebies promised by the ruling party before Assembly elections for the forced hike in utility charges.
“Karnataka is paying the price for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘khata khat’ model,” said Malviya, in-charge of the BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, attaching a news article on the proposed hike in water charges in Bengaluru.
The news item cited by Malviya in his post highlights that Bengaluru’s water bills will go up by at least 32 per cent from May, and sewerage charges may also be hiked.
Citing figures to show that inflation in Karnataka was above the national average, the BJP leader sought to link the freebies to the financial mismanagement by saying, “That’s what happens when a party makes unrealistic promises.”
The post said, “Data released by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation show that in February 2025, inflation based on the Consumer Price Index was 4.49 per cent in Karnataka, above the national average of 3.61 per cent.”
Malviya’s fresh attack on the state government comes close to the Karnataka BJP holding an overnight protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru earlier this month against a series of price hikes and the Congress government’s decision to provide 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government tenders.
The protest witnessed the participation of several senior BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister and BJP Parliamentary Board member B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Dy CM Ashwath Narayan, senior leaders C.T. Ravi and B. Sriramulu, BJP Legislative Council Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, former ministers, MLAs, MLCs, defeated candidates, district BJP presidents, and key office-bearers.
The BJP leaders displayed milk cans with slogans against the Congress-led government. The party also released the charge sheet against the ruling party in the form of a five-page booklet.
The leaders displayed posters against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The posters condemning the government over the Muslim quota in government tenders were also displayed by MLAs and leaders.
BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, stating that it is a regime that guarantees price hikes.
“They advertise themselves as a government that delivers on its promises, but this is not a humane government,” he said.
Vijayendra urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step out of his air-conditioned office. “You are not just the Chief Minister of Bengaluru. Travel across the state with your ministers to districts like Raichur, Koppal, and Belagavi,” he demanded.
He further pointed out that the prices of seeds have increased and questioned whether people were happy under the Congress government.
“Women receive Rs 2,000 and free electricity under various schemes, but these promises have not been properly implemented. This government is only burdening the people with price hikes,” he alleged.
Vijayendra criticised the government for increasing prices on essential goods. “Poor people, farmers, and the common man are struggling to survive. Petrol, diesel, milk, and even government hospital fees have gone up. Just yesterday, diesel prices were hiked by Rs 2, which will further increase the prices of essential commodities,” he said.
–IANS
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