Karnataka Congress arrive on Bullock Carts to protest rising field LPG prices

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar arrived in the Vidhana Soudha, commuting several kilometres from their respective home, along with hundreds of party workers and volunteers.

Senior Congress leaders in Karnataka on Monday travelled on bullock carts till Vidhana Soudha on the first day of state assembly’s monsoon session, as a mark of protest against the rising fuel and gas prices under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government.

Leader of Opposition in Karnataka assembly Siddaramaiah rides a bullock cart to attend the assembly session at Vidhana Soudha, as a protest against the hike in fuel and LPG prices in Bengaluru on Monday. (PTI)

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar arrived in the Vidhana Soudha, commuting several kilometres from their respective home, along with hundreds of party workers and volunteers. Lack of Covid-appropriate behaviour was evident in a video circulating on social media while several were seen marching without the mask and had no regard to social distancing at a time when the state is staring at the possible third wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

“The BJP government is pickpocketing the people and taking away their rights. During these troubled Covid-19 times, the BJP both at the Centre and in the State need to be solving people’s issues. Instead, they are pouring salt on existing wounds by increasing the prices of essential commodities,” Shivakumar said.

He added that the government is insensitive to people’s problems and that the Congress will oppose BJP’s erroneous policies.

Several states have already raised concern over increasing prices of all commodities as petrol and diesel prices have breached the ₹100-mark.

Shivakumar said that the party demands that petrol and diesel prices be reduced by at least ₹25 and LPG rates are reduced by ₹150.

The Centre and Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka government have turned down demands of reduction in fuel and LPG prices.

“Everyone has to compare the excise duty on Petrol & Diesel during Shri Manmohan Singh govt & now. Let CM Basavaraj Bommai speak the truth about the excise duty on Fuel and let people know about it,” Siddaramaiah said.

“Even (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee came on a bullock cart in 1973 as a protest against fuel price hike. Was he not from BJP? Basavaraj Bommai has to read history before commenting on our protest. Organising peaceful protests is our Right and we will always fight for rightful demands of our citizens,” the former chief minister said.

Siddaramaiah said that excise duty on diesel was increased by the Union government from ₹3.45 to ₹31.84 and excise duty of Petrol was increased from ₹9.21 to ₹32.98. He said that the Congress will move a motion in the ongoing assembly session.

The protests flagged off the monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature on Monday, adding to the pressure on the Bommai government. The BJP government in Karnataka is currently facing demands from backward and dominant communities on the findings of the 2015 caste census. The Panchamasali, the biggest sub-sect within the Lingayats, have also threatened to revive their agitation from September 15 if the Bommai government does not include the community in the 2A (extreme backward) from 3B (backward) classification in the state reservation list.

B Sriramulu, Karnataka’s transport and scheduled tribe welfare minister on Monday called the protests by the Congress “gimmicks” and done for “free publicity”.

“I will ask the Congress leaders one question. You (Congress) were in power for 60 years, and I want to ask them what they did,” Sriramulu said in Vidhana Soudha on Monday.

“If you have any concern for India, whichever states that you are in power will you be able to reduce VAT in these states?” The minister said, posing a challenge to the Congress party.