Congress to Launch Statewide Stir Over Price Rise, Hits Back at BJP
Mangaluru: In a sharp rebuttal to the BJP’s Janaakrosha Yatre targeting the Congress-led Karnataka government, MLC Ivan D’Souza announced that the Congress will hold counter-protests against the NDA government at the Centre, focusing on the soaring prices of fuel and essential goods.
Speaking on Tuesday, D’Souza revealed that Congress will begin its protest in Bengaluru on April 17, followed by demonstrations in Mangaluru and Udupi on April 22. He added that similar rallies will be organised across all districts of the state.
He accused the BJP of staging protests merely to remain visible in state politics. “Instead of pointing fingers at the state government, the BJP should hold the Centre accountable for the consistent hikes in petrol, diesel, and LPG rates, which are directly impacting daily household expenses,” D’Souza asserted.
Calling for a rollback of the Centre’s fuel cess, he defended the state budget, saying it hasn’t burdened citizens. “While our government provides Rs 2,000 to women under the guarantee scheme, the Centre negates that benefit by increasing LPG costs,” he added.
Challenging BJP leaders to a public debate, D’Souza demanded a white paper identifying the real culprits behind the price surge and questioned the transparency of central schemes like Jan Dhan.
On the caste census, he slammed BJP’s inconsistent stance. “It was their government that appointed Jayaprakash Hegde, yet now they oppose the findings. Over 5.9 crore people were surveyed,” he pointed out.
He also condemned the murder of autorickshaw driver Mohammed Sharief and lauded the swift response from police forces in Kerala and Karnataka.
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