CM blames BJP for price rise

The Hindu

28-04-2025

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched an attack on the BJP accusing it of raising prices of essential commodities only to help its corporate friends make profits while neglecting the poor.
What is more, it is misleading the people of the country by blaming the Congress governments in the States for the price rise. It is also destroying the spirit of the Constitution by dividing society on the lines of caste and religion, the Chief Minister said in Belagavi on Monday.
He was speaking at a Save Constitution, Save Nation rally against the Union government.
'It is the BJP that has been raising prices of fuel, food items and other commodities since it came to power 11 years ago. Its policies are wrong and are aimed at benefitting the rich and are clearly anti-poor. However, it is blaming the Congress to cover its mistakes,' he complained.
'The people of the State should know who is truly responsible for price rise, who is cheating them and betraying their mandate,' Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
He questioned why petrol, diesel and domestic gas prices have not halved despite international crude oil prices dropping from 120 USD to 62 USD per barrel, in the last decade.
'When fuel prices increase, they have a cascading effect on the prices of other commodities. The BJP leaders are going around lying about the causes of price rise. That is why we began organising these rallies, to tell the people the truth,' he said.
'I want to the tell the BJP, you have no moral right to take out rallies against price rise. You have raised prices, but you are trying to blame it on us. We are not afraid of your plans. We have the power to face you publicly,' he said.
'The BJP has no moral right to hold rallies against price rise when it is their wrong economic policies that have burdened the common man,' he asserted.
'They raised prices and now blame us, but we are not afraid of their tactics. We will confront them publicly. We are not afraid of the BJP and RSS tactics,' he said.
The Chief Minister accused the BJP of exploiting religious and caste divisions for political gains. 'The BJP thrives on dividing society, but the people have seen through their game,' he said.
He also targeted the BJP's past political strategies saying that the party has never come to power on its own strength but through dirty political games like Operation Lotus. 'They entered through the backdoor, but the people defeated them and brought us back to power,' he claimed. He claimed that the Congress will come back to power in the next elections.
The Chief Minister branded the BJP as 'anti-poor, anti-farmer, anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit and anti-women', while questioning its achievements.
'What has the BJP really done for the people? They only know how to spread hatred and increase hardships of the poor,' he said.
'The BJP is dividing society on the basis of religion and caste. But we will not bow down to the BJP-RSS's big threats. We have the power to confront you with all our might,' he said.
He said that some BJP activists tried to disrupt the rally on Monday. 'However, we will not be silenced. We will continue to speak against the injustice committed by the BJP against the people,' he said.
'When Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, there was a 30% tax on corporates. After Modi came to power, you reduced this tax to 22%. However, they increased the tax on the poor and middle classes. Aren't you ashamed of taking such anti-poor measures?' he asked BJP leaders.
'Shouldn't the people question the BJP's rule against the poor and the middle class? How many more years will they continue to lie to us Indians?' he asked.
'The BJP protested against the price rise of ₹4 per litre of milk that we did to help farmers. It is because it is anti-farmer and is worried only about urban dwellers. Even after the hike, milk prices are the lowest among our neighbours. Even bus fare, water tariff and power rates are the lowest in Karnataka compared to our neighbours. If I begin to talk about the wrong economic policies of the Centre, they target me. But they should understand that Siddaramaiah is not afraid of such threats and propaganda,' he said.