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Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar reach K'taka House in carts to protest fuel prices
Siddaramaih and Shivakumar were accompanied by several other legislators of the Congress during their 'tanga' ride to the Assembly on Friday.
Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar came to the Karnataka Assembly in Bengaluru on horse-driven ‘tangas’ (carriages) to protest against rising fuel prices.
Siddaramaih, the leader of Opposition in the Assembly and a former chief minister, Shivakumar, the state Congress president, were accompanied by several other legislators of the grand old party during their unique protest march on Friday.
According to the day’s fuel rates, a litre of petrol would cost ₹104.7, while diesel was being sold at 94.27 a litre in Karnataka.
The Opposition has been targeting the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in the state over rising prices. A day ago, there was a heated debate over the rates of idli and dosa at a popular eatery.
Taking to Twitter, Shivakumar wrote the rising prices of fuel and essential commodities had broken the back of common people. “To protest against the same, marched from KPCC office to Vidhana Soudha on Tangas, alongside CLP leader Sri @Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders, to attend the last day of Assembly Session,” he added.
On Thursday, Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri said prices of petrol were not coming down as states did not want to bring fuel under the ambit of the goods and services tax (GST).
The Congress will also boycott Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of the legislature on Friday, the last day of the ongoing monsoon session, contending that it will set a “wrong precedent”.
Siddaramaiah said the Congress had taken a decision to boycott the joint session which will be addressed by Lok Sabha Speaker today. "The BJP government is trying to create a new precedent in Karnataka Legislative Assembly. It has happened never before
