BENGALURU, 1 APRIL

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday criticised the Siddaramaiah-led dispensation in Karnataka, accusing it of turning into a "price hike demon" that is draining the blood of people.

He accused the state government of deception and frequent price hikes. "This is the governance style of the Karnataka East India Congress Company government. From today, the Congress Company government is imposing a cess even on garbage. It is draining the blood of the people." he said in a statement.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had on Saturday presented its budget for 2025–26, in which it also proposed to collect a solid waste management user fee along with property tax.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the government was using its "five guarantees" as a pretext to increase prices.

"Its real intention is nothing but looting the people. Even Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori, who invaded India and looted it continuously, would be ashamed of the price hike campaign being imposed on Kannadigas by the Congress government," he said.

the JDS leader alleged that it has destroyed a once-prosperous Karnataka through "misgovernance" and has now transformed into a "price hike demon" to bleed the people dry.

"They have increased the prices of water, metro rail, KSRTC bus tickets, milk (three times), electricity, stamp duty, guideline value, excise duty, outpatient fees in government hospitals, post-mortem examination charges, medical certificate fees, lab test charges, professional tax and seed prices. This is the price hike demon Congress government," he said.