Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took to the streets of Bengaluru on Friday to protest the Karnataka government’s decision to implement a 15 percent fare hike for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. The hike, set to take effect from January 5, 2025, has sparked political clashes, with the BJP accusing the Congress-led government of burdening the public.
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, lambasted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling him the “worst CM in the history of Karnataka.” Addressing the media, Ashoka criticized the fare hike as a desperate measure, saying, “There is no money in Siddaramaiah’s pocket, which is why he is resorting to this. When I was the Transport Minister, KSRTC operated at a profit. Under Siddaramaiah, it has only seen losses.”
Ashoka further alleged that the Congress government’s policies were discriminatory, claiming, “They’ve made bus travel free for women but doubled it for men. During our government, despite a rise in petrol and diesel prices, we didn’t increase fares. Now, with a 15% hike, even private taxis are cheaper than KSRTC buses.”
However, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy dismissed the BJP’s criticism, accusing the party of hypocrisy. “When Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister, the BJP raised bus fares by 12 percent. Now they are protesting? They left us with a Rs 5,900 crore liability. If the Prime Minister reduces diesel prices, we can reconsider the fare hike,” Reddy said.
Adding fuel to the political fire, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla labeled the fare hike part of the Congress’s “Khata Khata Loot model.” He said, “Wherever Congress governs, inflation, looting, and economic destruction follow. After increasing prices for water, petrol, diesel, and milk, they’ve now hiked bus fares. This is a betrayal of their promise of free bus rides.”
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister HK Patil defended the cabinet’s decision, stating that the hike was essential to address KSRTC’s financial deficit. “The corporation is currently facing a deficit, and this 15 percent increase will help generate Rs 74.84 crores every month,” Patil said.
(Inputs from ANI)
