BENGALURU: Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and senior BJP leader R Ashoka on Wednesday said BJP leaders in Karnataka will promptly follow the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on saving fuel, and other austerity measures, including avoiding gold purchases.
“We will reduce the amount of petrol and diesel in cars we use by 30% to 50%. We will use escort vehicles only in urgent cases,” Ashoka said.
He said the public is responding positively to the PM’s appeal. “I have told my house to reduce the amount of cooking oil used at home,” he claimed.
He said Union ministers and officials have already responded to the Prime Minister’s call and have started using mass transport systems like the Metro. Ashoka alleged that the Congress government has meted out injustice to the Dalit community by suddenly reducing the quota.
He claimed that the previous BJP government had increased the SC reservation from 15% to 17% and STs from 3% to 7%, following reports by then law minister JC Madhuswamy-headed cabinet sub-committee report and the Sadashiva Commission.
But now the quota for SC/STs has been reversed, he said, warning that if the mistake is not rectified, the communities will overthrow the government by launching a struggle.