Bengaluru, 31 March

Congress General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday attacked the Centre over price rise, alleging that 1 April has become “a day of loot, rob and fleece” under the BJP-led union government, impacting the lives and livelihoods of people.

The new financial rules are set to begin at the start of April.

Addressing a press conference with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Surjewala accused the BJP of using inflation as a tool to “swindle, plunder and burglarise” public money.

“1 April has become a day of loot, rob and fleece for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and the BJP,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

Surjewala alleged that rising toll collections reflected “highway robbery”, claiming that the Centre had collected massive revenues from Karnataka alone over the years.

“Since 2019-20, the Modi government and the BJP have collected Rs 23,000 crore by ‘pickpocketing’ the people of Karnataka alone,” he said, adding that toll charges would be increased by about five per cent from 1 April.

Citing the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway as an example, he claimed that toll was collected even before the project was completed. “They have already collected Rs 900 crore from the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway alone.”

Surjewala further accused the Centre of burdening patients by increasing the cost of medicines.

“From 1 April, 2026, the Modi government is hiking the prices of 900 essential drugs and medicines,” he said, adding that even life-saving drugs and treatments for diseases such as diabetes and hypertension would become costlier.

Surjewala also pointed to rising input costs in sectors such as construction, petrochemicals and consumer goods, alleging that higher prices of materials like steel, cement, PVC and bitumen would directly impact housing and infrastructure development. “What will the common man do?”.

Shivakumar noted that that cement prices have risen by Rs 50 to Rs 100 per bag, while iron prices have increased from Rs 47,000 to Rs 59,000 per tonne.

Surjewala further criticised the hike in postal charges, saying, “Speed post rates have gone up by 34 per cent.”

Highlighting the rise in fuel and transport-related expenses, he said LPG prices had sharply increased over the years and alleged that airfares and other travel costs were also rising.

Shivakumar said people were being forced to switch to firewood due to an acute shortage of LPG caused by the Centre’s foreign policy.

“The Centre’s Ujjwala scheme has become a ‘Saude Bhagya’ (firewood scheme)” Shivakumar alleged.

He added that hotels were shutting down and people were being forced to use electric stoves. “Over the past 15 days, electricity consumption in the State has risen by 10 per cent,” he claimed.

“Tenders have already been called by the Public Works Department for laying bitumen (asphalt), and work has already begun. I have informed contractors and officials in Bengaluru that rather than halting work due to price increases, the government will directly supply bitumen,” Shivakumar said.