BENGALURU: Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and BJP leaders expressed displeasure at the government’s decision to increase bus fares by 15%. Senior BJP leaders staged a protest against the bus fare hike by presenting flowers to commuters and “apologizing” to them on behalf of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said not just the bus fare hike, the government will soon increase milk prices and water tariffs.
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy said since coming to power, the Congress government has made it a routine policy to burden the public and people are forced to bear it.
“Is there even a government in this state? Can this really be called a government? Ever since they came to power, all they’ve done is hike prices,” he told media persons.
Kumaraswamy said the government has increased bus fares by 15%, placing a heavy burden on the people. He said people protest for a day or two and then forget about it as they’ve also got accustomed to it.
He said the Congress government had imposed a cess on diesel and petrol, increased stamp duty, guidance values, liquor prices and now even milk prices are set to be hiked. In previous administrations, price hikes were made only when it was absolutely necessary, but owing to this government’s mismanagement, the entire burden has been placed on the people, he said.