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'Should a common man bear the burnt?': Siddaramaiah slams railway fare hike, accuses BJP of double standards
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the Central government's railway fare hike, labeling it anti-people.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has come down heavily on the Central government's decision to increase railway fares, calling it an anti-people move that disproportionately affects students, daily wage earners, small-time traders, and the average citizen. In a strongly worded post on X, he urged the BJP-led Union government to immediately roll back the fare hike, warning that the burden on essential travel would further strain the public already grappling with high inflation.
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Here is what CM Siddaramaiah said
“Railway fares hiked! And who ends up paying? It's the students, the poor, small traders, and daily wage workers,” Siddaramaiah said. “This isn’t just about money—it’s about empathy. Don’t turn people's daily commute into another political jumla. Let the trains run, not people's patience.”
The Chief Minister criticised the Karnataka unit of the BJP for what he described as glaring hypocrisy. He pointed out that while the BJP had vocally protested the Congress government’s decision to hike milk prices—intended to benefit dairy farmers—they have remained conspicuously silent on the Centre’s railway fare increase.
“When we raised milk prices to support our farmers, BJP leaders took to the streets calling it ‘anti-people’. But now, when the BJP-led Centre hikes train fares that burden the common man, they go completely silent. Why? Because this fare hike doesn’t help farmers or the poor—it just helps the BJP government fill its treasury,” Siddaramaiah remarked.
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He also drew attention to the recent increase in Namma Metro fares, which the BJP had blamed on the Congress-led state government. Siddaramaiah clarified that the hike was based on recommendations from a fare fixation committee constituted by the Union government.
“When Metro fares were revised after eight years, BJP leaders blamed us without acknowledging that the Centre's own committee proposed the hike. The narrative was twisted then to put the blame on the state. Now, with the rail fare hike, who will they scapegoat?” he asked.
The Union Ministry of Railways announced a fare "rationalisation" effective from July 1, 2025. As per the new rates, passengers travelling over 500 km in non-suburban second-class coaches will see a hike of half a paisa per kilometre. That translates to an increase of ₹5 for 501–1500 km trips, ₹10 for 1501–2500 km, and ₹15 for longer journeys up to 3000 km.
Sleeper and first-class fares will also go up by the same rate, while mail and express trains will see a 1-paisa-per-kilometre increase in second-class fares. However, suburban train fares and season tickets will remain unchanged.
In closing, Siddaramaiah reiterated his solidarity with the people of Karnataka and the nation, demanding that the fare hike be reversed without delay. “The government cannot continue to shift the burden onto those already struggling. This move is unjust and must be rolled back immediately,” he asserted.
