Bengaluru, May 25 (IANS) Announcing protests against fuel price hikes, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said demonstrations would be held at all district headquarters on May 30 and that the party would later intensify the agitation across every Assembly constituency in Karnataka.

Addressing a joint press conference with CM Siddaramaiah and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Shivakumar further said: “We will create awareness among the people against these price hikes. The people themselves must uproot this anti-people BJP government at the Centre. “

Criticising the Prime Minister, Shivakumar alleged that the BJP government was attempting to control people’s lifestyles through public advisories.

“How can the PM tell people not to buy gold for weddings or not to eat properly? BJP leaders and Union ministers who travelled in the Metro for one day only did it for photo opportunities. They themselves are not using public transport regularly,” he remarked.

The Deputy Chief Minister targeted BJP leaders in Karnataka, including Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and state BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, accusing them of lacking “self-respect” while demanding that the state government reduce taxes.

“We criticised the Centre’s price hikes as daylight robbery and staged protests. Yet, BJP leaders shamelessly ask the state government to reduce taxes. First, stop the Centre’s exploitation,” he charged.

Shivakumar further alleged that the BJP-led government had collected Rs 43 lakh crore through taxes on petroleum products over the last 12 years.

“During the UPA government, petrol was Rs 71 and diesel Rs 56. Today, they have reached Rs 110 and Rs 99 respectively,” he said.

He accused the BJP-led Central government of burdening people through repeated price hikes, while asserting that the Congress government in Karnataka was reducing the financial burden on citizens through its guarantee schemes.

“The Central government is collecting nearly Rs 1,000 crore every day through taxes on fuel. By reducing these taxes, the government could have eased the burden on common people. No other country has witnessed such steep price hikes. In the last 11 days alone, petrol and diesel prices have increased by Rs 7.52, severely affecting ordinary citizens,” he said.

–IANS

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